Changing Fate
by gamegirl07
Summary: Jin, the one who must pay for the sins of his father, may find this task too much to bear. In his quest to right all that was wrong in the past, he may discover more than he bargained for and that not all things are what they seem at first glance.
1. So It Begins

AN: Man, I just don't know when to stop writing…or starting new stories when I still have that DBZ fic hanging out in the wind and another Tekken fic I'm desperately trying to get through (and isn't nearly finished, by the way). I've had this in my head and just had to put this down before I completely forgot about it. Plus, I finally get to use Jin in my story.

Chapter 1: So It Begins…

Jin hated his father. He had never met the man before, but he had decided at some point that he didn't want anything to do with him. A man who was able to leave a woman as kind-hearted and innocent as his mother, was not worth his time to concern himself about. He had asked his mom plenty of times about him, but for some reason whenever he brought up the subject, Mom would become quite solemn even depressed. She'd always say: "He was a good man, but I was a fool for loving such a person." That's all he would ever get out of her. She would never divulge upon the subject. In fact, she would often have to leave the room just to regain her composure. Something horrible must have occurred between them, something that Jun would never be strong enough to say outright to Jin, her one and only son. To drive a woman like her to such a massive mood swing, was a feat in itself. Jin might have done a few naughty things in his time, but it had never gotten as much as a rise out of her. Until the day he had asked about his father, Jin had never seen her anything beyond content or slightly annoyed. One word to describe her was "peaceful".

But she wasn't really at peace. At least around him she could put up a good front, but Jin was no fool. When he was a lot younger, sometimes he would try to sneak into her room only to find that she was crying. He would sit there in front of her closed door and listen to her sobbing. It was painful to hear, but he knew intuitively that there was nothing he could do to sooth her pain. When he could no longer stand it as his eyes became moist, he would quietly return to his room in a solemn mood. He never once mentioned the fact that he knew that her usual calm exterior was just a mere façade. Though he felt helpless, he knew that confronting her would solve little. Jun was a closed woman. She was open to a certain extent with Jin, but he was aware that there were some things that she simply kept to herself.

"Jin? Are you up?" Jun asked in a tone that was slightly louder than her usual one as she knocked on his door. She opened the door despite not getting an answer. "Jin, you know it's no good to sleep all day."

Jin who was only pretending to be asleep couldn't find it in his heart to completely ignore the other. Though he was still partially under his covers and turned on his stomach with his face smashed into the pillow, he still responded.

"It's not like I have anything to do today," Jin said. He had turned his head to the side so that Jun could hear him clearly.

"Well, what do you say? Do you want to learn some Aikido today?"

"No…" Jin said with a groan.

"Are you sure? It could be fun."

"Maybe tomorrow."

Jun sighed, "You have no motivation. What if I told you that it would be in your best interest to learn how to defend yourself?"

"Is the world going to end or something?"

"Well— "

"I didn't think so."

"The real world can be a cruel place. What if you decide that you want to leave here some day? Wouldn't you want to prepare yourself?"

"I've always lived here with you in these mountains. If I left, who would be here to take care of you later on?"

"Oh, don't worry about me."

"If I don't worry about you, who else will? Certainly not that other deadbeat guy…"

"Don't call him that. You have no right to even talk about someone you know little about."

"I can say what I want. Unless, of course, you would like to change that. Why don't you just tell me about him?"

"Jin…I thought I went over this with you…"

"I'm going back to sleep now. You can go play 'aikido' by yourself."

"Jin! You get out of that bed, right now! I don't want to put up with this today. I thought I would ask you nicely, but I guess it won't work like that today."

Jin had never tried to goad the other into talking about something and he decided that this would be the last time he tried as Jun violently dragged him out of bed and quickly put him into a position that didn't allow resistance and basically tossed him into the bathroom.

"Now, I want you downstairs in thirty minutes. I hope you'll be ready by then," she said in a surprisingly calm voice.

His arms were sore from the hold that she had gotten him in, but it wasn't anything too bad. One thing still remained though; he still didn't feel like doing anything extraneous today since he had done something similar with her just yesterday. He wanted a break. There was a window in the bathroom he was in, he would take that. They lived in a rancher so there was only one floor to worry about. After opening the window, it was easy enough to climb outside. He closed the window as quietly as he could so as not to be quite so obvious in his method of escape.

"Jin! I thought I'd find you here."

He turned with a look of surprise towards Jun. "How did you…?"

"How stupid do you think I am? Jin, it really is important to get this kind of training in. I'm not sure how I can stress the importance."

"Then tell me why. Why is it so important? And don't give me that 'you need to be able to defend yourself' crap. Defend myself from what exactly?"

"It's important, Jin, that's all you need to know."

"How long are you going to keep this up?"

Jun turned away from the other. "As long as needed. There are some things in this world that you are better off not knowing in the first place. That's what I've learned. I may not always be there to protect you. That's why—"

"You're _not_ making any sense. Talking in riddles isn't like you."

"Jin, you're too young to understand."

"Then help me understand."

"No! And that's the end of it. Since you're out here right now and it's obvious that you're not in a good mood—why don't we fight?"

Jin was caught off guard by this. Could it be possible that she was actually being aggressive? "I told you already; I don't want to."

"What would you do if someone's fist was aiming for your face?" Jun said as she approached the other. "Would you run?"

Jin didn't know why, but he was beginning to feel apprehensive. The way she advanced upon him, he couldn't help but back away from her. Not only did he not want to fight, but he certainly wasn't ready for actual combat. All that he had been taught was through demonstrations and he copying her movements. He couldn't imagine what it would feel like if his attacks actually connected with another. When Jun picked up speed, so did he. It felt as if he was running for dear life. The entire circumstances were ridiculous, but he knew that he didn't want to stop.

"This isn't tag!" Jin could hear his mother yelling out from behind him, "You're acting like a little two year old! Just stand still already!"

But Jin picked up speed until he found himself racing through the thick forest on the outcrops of the property. He wasn't even sure if she was following any longer. All he could hear was his footfalls crashing onto the dry twigs and leaves. He took a chance and glanced behind himself as he ran forth. It was the last thing he remembered doing before his world turned completely dark.

/

A full moon shined brightly in the sky and it was dark enough that the stars were at their brightest. A young woman stared up into that same sky with hopeful eyes. She stood under a lone streetlight with arms clasped behind her. She turned when she heard footsteps approaching her.

"Kazuya?" she asked to the darkened figure.

The figure paused for a moment as if confused then it moved into the area where the light shined; she was a little put off by the man's appearance.

"You're not Kazuya. Who are you?"

"Were you…waiting for someone? You know, it isn't safe for a girl to be out on the streets so late."

"I'm fine. I can take care of myself. You didn't answer my question though. Just who are you?"

"Jin."

"Just 'Jin' then." Her eyes narrowed a little, "You look familiar somehow…"

"I can assure you, there's no way you could have met me before. Could you do me a favor though? Could you tell me…where exactly this is?"

"So…you're lost? You do know that this is Japan, right?"

"Well, I got that much."

"Yamaga prefecture although we're in the poorer parts. Did you hit your head or something?"

"No…I don't think."

"Well, it _looks_ like you're alright, but looks can be deceiving. Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"I'm certain."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't give you my name. It's Jun." She did not miss the surprised look that crossed the other's face. "Wait, is that name familiar? Maybe I do know you."

"No…it's impossible…I must be dreaming."

"Are you okay?"

Images flashed through his mind so quickly that he could hardly decipher them. _This isn't real, right? This woman…she couldn't be the same one that I know about…she's too young…she's far too young_. He felt soft arms come across his shoulders. He must have closed his eyes because he had to open them in order to look at the woman known as Jun once again.

"I'm fine. I just…I guess I just remembered something."

"That's good, right? Did you remember something useful?"

"No...it was just…'something'."

Jun stepped away politely, "It sounds like you have amnesia. I can't imagine how that must be like forgetting who you are and all those who loved you. Do you have a place to stay?"

"Um…no."

Jun put her palms together in front of her gently as she smiled, "Then that does it. I can't let someone in need of help be left out here in the streets. You can stay with me."

"What? But you don't even know me. We're strangers. Why would you be so nice to a stranger?"

"I told you, didn't I? I can't stand to leave a person in need."

_How could anyone be so…Wait, I shouldn't be surprised…this is Jun, this is Mom. But still, I'm nothing more than a stranger to her…_

Jin hadn't heard another set of footsteps coming from the darkness in front of them. He was equally startled by the intimidating voice:

"Who's that kid with you?"

"Kazuya? You really came. I'm glad."

Jin still couldn't see the man, but he saw as Jun rushed forth. First he saw a foot and then as he stepped into the light, Jin got a full look at him. Something about him immediately set the other on edge, but Jun seemed so happy. It was the kind of happiness that Jin hadn't thought his mother capable of. All they did was hug, but it seemed like something far more intimate. Jin found that he couldn't look the whole time; he had to look away to some less provocative scene…like the ground.

"I told you that I _would_ come don't look so surprised," Jin heard the man say.

"_You're _late."

"I got caught up."

"You always say things like that," Jun accused.

"Can we just go already?"

"Wait, I forgot to introduce you to somebody."

Jin felt when the attention was brought immediately on him and he turned to the other two.

"Hm, this chump again."

"Kazuya, don't be so mean," Jun said as she gave the other a good shove. "His name is _Jin_. Jin, this is Kazuya, my um…he's my…"

"Boyfriend," the other finished abruptly.

Jin could tell that she had not been prepared for that kind of finish which struck Jin as odd, but he decided that it would be wise not to mention this.

It took Jun a moment to regain her bearings after she looked up at the other and he returned her gaze with one that she seemed satisfied with. "You see, he has amnesia and he needs a place to stay and—

"You offered your place, right?"

"Yes," Jun answered Kazuya.

Then Jin was finally presented with Kazuya's full-on gaze. Already there was a frown on Kazuya's face. "I don't know who you are, but if Jun deems you trustworthy, then I'll just have to take her word for it. However, you do anything stupid and you'll be paying with your life."

"Kazuya! Stop trying to scare off my guest. I said that he needs help, okay?"

"I really don't feel like arguing with you. Let's just take this fool over to your place and then we can go."

"Really? You'll drive him? That's really nice of you."

Jin had a feeling that they had actually forgotten that he was even there when he saw Kazuya take up one of her hands and lead her off into the darkness. Jin followed after them.

"Don't mention it," Jin heard Kazuya say in a less than enthusiastic tone. Kazuya sighed exasperatedly, "You and your damn strays," he grumbled.

Jin found himself getting into the backseat of a midnight blue Corvette. In fact, he had never driven in a car before, but Jin decided that this too he would keep to himself.

"You're being awfully quiet," Kazuya said a loud as he turned on the engine to the car.

It took Jin a moment to realize that Kazuya had been talking to him.

"Well, kid, are you mute?"

"Oh…uh…"

"See, you're scaring him," Jun interjected. She turned in her seat to look back at Jin. "Don't mind him. He's harmless," she said with a smile.

_Yeah…when you're around…_Jin wasn't altogether certain, but this Kazuya seemed like he could be a handful without her presence. If anything, they made a rather intriguing couple. He wondered how one could even stand the other.

"So…you guys are going out on a date?" Jin finally asked.

Jin felt the tension increase twofold in the car. He wondered if he had managed to say the wrong thing. Was there even a _right_ thing to say at this point? The silence was so deafening that he thought Jun must have fallen out.

"Y-Yeah…a date…" Jun finally replied. "Right…Kazuya?"

Jin watched his mother look at the man a little nervously. _What exactly is going on?_

"Call it what you want," the man responded gruffly, "I don't care. I decided that I would take you somewhere so I'm taking you somewhere."

_That's a _date, _right? I feel like I've stepped into some alternate reality._ _Isn't this still a dream?_ Jin was glad when he was dropped off at Jun's place. It was a small apartment on the third floor. Before Jun had gotten out of the car to escort him to her apartment, Kazuya had rolled down his window and gave him a look that might have killed a lesser man.

"Don't steal anything and don't try to take advantage of her."

"Yes, sir," Jin said automatically before he could stop himself.

He couldn't help it though, the man had seemed quite serious about his orders and he feared that if he had said anything else, the situation might have turned south. _Harmless my ass…_

Jin was left alone in her apartment. The only thing he did as soon as he heard the car speed off into the night was sit down on the living room couch. That man, why didn't he sit right with him besides the fact that he was more than a bit intimidating? His eyes were what was the most unsettling of all…it was as if he had been gazing into a mirror. _Wait a minute…_Jin stood up and went into the nearest bathroom so he could get a good look at the mirror. No wonder those eyes of his had seemed so familiar…his were the very same color. And his hair…and his eyebrows…_No, maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions…_And Jun had seemed so _happy_, really happy with him. Could it be that…?

Jin was deep in thought when he finally made his way back to the couch. The implications were almost too much to believe. How hard would it be really for that man known as Kazuya to be the one who would eventually break her heart, who would eventually make her regret ever being with him in the first place? He was rude and menacing—just the kind of person who'd be willing to do such unforgivable things to her. Although he seemed quite tamed under her thumb, Jin would not be fooled by this "charade". Even now, he could be out there scheming her downfall.

_That's it! I don't know if this is even real or not…but maybe I was brought here for a reason. Maybe now is my chance to set things straight before they get out of order. I'm well aware of the consequences. If this man really is my father, then I may never be born in the first place…but my mother…she doesn't deserve the kind of sadness she feels now. I'd give my life. All I've ever wanted to do was to protect her—now, Kazuya, if you think you'll have your way with her…you have another thing coming._

/

AN: I apologize if anyone seems a bit out of character, but everyone is younger than what they were in the game and thus have slightly different personalities. If you were looking for that cold, aloof Jin, you probably won't find it here. If you were looking for a less naïve Jun or a far more badass Kazuya, you won't find that here either. Hopefully though, you'll find this to your liking. There just aren't enough good Kazuya/Jin (Father/son relationship) stories out there. Oh yeah, and reviews would be immensely helpful since this is only my second Tekken fanfic. You see something a bit off or something you really like about this so far, feel free to tell me. I'm all ears.


	2. A Road Trip

AN: Okay, so I lied when I said _everyone_ was younger than when the games first begin. This Kazuya is the one from Tekken 2 _before_ the tournament even begins and I probably won't get to the tournament in this story.

Chapter 2: A Road Trip

Surely nothing too drastic could have occurred on their first non-date date. Still, Jin was quite anxious about the whole thing as one leg began to twitch nervously.

_I shouldn't be worried about elopement. That would be too rash even for Jun. But maybe Kazuya could _trick_ her into…_Then Jin shook his head. _Get a grip._

The man even had trouble saying that he was her boyfriend. He wasn't even certain that they got married in the first place. Jin was just getting ahead of himself. As soon as he could, he was going to talk to his mother and convince her that this Kazuya was no good for her and that she was blind to it because she was too naïve to tell the difference between a good man and a bad one.

On second thought, maybe he shouldn't be quite so blunt about it. She had been kind enough to give him lodging. He didn't want to scare her away. Maybe it would be a better idea to just wait and bide his time. If he could gain her trust…but, no, that was too risky. Anything could be happening as he was "biding his time". The way Jun had held onto that man when they had met under that streetlight…Jin didn't think he had long to change things. But how could he lay it on her gently and painlessly? Was there even a way to do that?

There was a turned off television that sat right in front of him. The lights were completely off, but he could still see a little of himself reflected on the thick glass. Worrying was getting him nowhere. There wasn't anything he could do until later. While he sat up for a while longer, he eventually laid down on the couch and hoped for the best.

/

He was awoken the next day by the bright morning sun. Had he realized that the blinds were open last night, he would have closed them to avoid the searing brightness. He groaned wearily to himself as he used his hand to cover his eyes. He was fully prepared to go back to sleep when he stopped himself. Was Jun back yet? Immediately, Jin climbed to his feet and searched the area. Even her bed was still made. _Crap…Don't tell me she stayed over at that man's house._ Jin made a return to his post on the couch and continued where he left off from last night with his worrying thoughts—they had only worsened. Sitting there was literally making him sick. He laid back down to calm himself. It only worked to a certain extent, but all he was doing was staring at the ceiling and pretending that he had lost the ability to think. He was sure his subconscious mind was having a field days especially when he was still so anxious. He laid there for what seemed like an eternity (never once turning the blinds down…) before the front door opened.

"Jun," Jin began, but his words caught in his throat when he saw who it was. "Oh, Kazuya."

"What do you mean, 'Oh, Kazuya'?" the other said with a frown. Apparently, it was only a rhetorical question as he continued on. "Jun's been worried about you and wants to take you out to lunch," he said quickly. "Well?" Kazuya said when the other made no move at all, "You going to stand there all day or follow me out to the car?"

"Are you her _messenger_ or something? She couldn't have come up here herself and say that?"

"I don't have patience for silly questions like that," Kazuya said turning and heading down the stairs.

"Alright, I'm coming!" Jin called out to the other. He wasn't sure if the other had heard.

Jin wondered if he'd ever be presented with a chance to speak with Jun alone…at the moment, his chances seemed abysmal. When he stepped outside again, he saw the midnight blue Corvette in all its glory. It glistened and sparkled in the sunlight. The rims were no different. He noticed that the top was down; the Corvette must have been a convertible as well.

"Climb in!" Jun said welcomingly, "I know you have to be starving."

Jun sat in the passenger seat as usual and Kazuya was already in the driver's seat making no attempt at all in acknowledging him. He guessed it was all for the best. Jin slipped into the backseat, but was in for a rude awakening as Kazuya sped down the street. Jun, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying herself. As for Kazuya, there was no way to tell what mood he was in from his actions alone, but the way he seemed patient enough to make small talk with Jun, he was in a good enough mood.

"Let's go to Lotteria!" Jun said excitedly.

"Lotteria it is," Kazuya responded in a way that sounded almost disinterested. Only Jun knew better.

Jin didn't know what this place was, but he readily agreed with the two in the front. What else could he do? Unbeknownst to Jin, Lotteria was a fast food restaurant and they opted to use the drive thru. It seemed Kazuya already knew what Jun wanted since she hadn't said a word as he started running down the first order which was a shrimp burger. He paused for a moment only to ask Jin what he would like. For a long moment, Jin was at a loss. He was still studying the menu and Kazuya was beginning to get impatient.

_I don't know…maybe they have…_ "A teriyaki burger?" Jin asked instead of stated. It was something that his mother had made for him many times before.

"You sure about that," Kazuya questioned the other with obvious sarcasm. "You either want it or not."

"A teriyaki burger," Jin said more confidently despite himself. He hadn't even seen it on the menu. He was probably making a complete fool out of himself.

Jin was more than a little surprised when the former proceeded to ordering two of them.

"Wait, I only wanted one," Jin said trying to interrupt the other, but he was largely ignored.

Jun turned to Jin then, "It's his favorite. Looks like you guys have the same taste…it's too sweet if you ask me."

_His…favorite? I don't want to have anything in common with that man…_ "Hey, can I change my order," Jin asked before Kazuya could drive up to the window.

"Make up your mind already, kid," Kazuya said in an agitated tone.

"I think I just want a shrimp burger too…That sounds better."

"Sounds disgusting," Kazuya said back. He received a nice shove from Jun, but he was unperturbed.

Of course, then Kazuya had to go through all the trouble of changing the order after it had already been made. They somehow wounded up with their initial order thanks to the dizzy person at the register…much to Jin's annoyance more than anyone else. Kazuya was far too peeved to continue trying the sort the order out and they eventually just gave up with the entire affair and made do with what they already had. In fact, Jin had already lost his appetite thinking about how they had ordered the same exact thing. He watched in silence as the two of them tried to figure out if they should go to the park or just go to the parking lot that had a good view of the ocean before they ate. Jin was unconcerned with the entire thing. The whole time, all he smelled was teriyaki. He always wondered why his mother would ever make something like that for him if she didn't even like it herself. Now he suspected he had found the answer.

"Ah, cheer up, Jin. You have all the time in the world to go back to Lotteria one day and get that shrimp burger."

"Besides, it's disgusting." A comment that only won him another playful shove from Jun.

He was right, shrimp burgers was not his cup of tea. Not that he had ever tasted one before, but he knew that he didn't especially like shrimp and that the taste of them would ruin any kind of burger—at least according to his taste buds. But Jin would never admit this out loud. "It's not disgusting," Jin said siding with Jun, "They're a lot better than all that sticky, sweetness."

It only received a brief "humph" from Kazuya. In any case, they were off to that parking lot. They had voted and the parking lot had won. They might have went to the park had Jin not switched his vote to Jun's choice.

"Stop being so damn wishy-washy," Jin heard Kazuya grumble as he revved up the engines and sped out once again down the road.

They didn't have far to go. The sun was quite high by then as they enjoyed their meal. Mostly it was Jun and Kazuya talking except for the few times Jun tried to involve Jin in it. Jin wasn't inclined to, afraid that he might find that he had something else in common with Kazuya—the man who would break his mother's heart.

"I want to drive now," Jun announced after they had thrown away their trash.

"Jun, are you sure—

Before Kazuya could even finish, she was already trying to move over to Kazuya position.

"Just stay there," Jun said before the other could move.

Eventually she found a nice place on top of his lap, but Kazuya thought it safer if she was at least sitting on the seat so he spread his legs out wide enough so that she could. He put his arms around her waist protectively.

"You ready, Jun?"

Jun gave him a nod.

"Then turn the key."

"Wait, are you guys crazy? Can't we get in trouble for this?" _Not to mention it's _not _safe!_

Too late, the engine was already being turned on. Kazuya still manned the stick shift since she didn't know how to use it so well, but that was all. They were backing up a little too fast in Jin's opinion and they accelerated even faster than Kazuya usually did. The wheels screeched on the street before the car shot off.

"Ah! We're gonna' die; I can't watch," Jin cried out when Jun hit the side of the curb before going out into the side street.

"If you can't watch, then close your eyes. Jun says she wants to drive so she's going to drive."

Jin ducked down in his seat and did just that and prayed to some higher power to spare his life if they got into an accident.

"Kind of heavy-footed, huh," Kazuya said to an energetic Jun.

The way her voice would cry out excitedly whenever they went at light speed, Jin could tell that she was havening fun. Despite the situation, that fact gave him comfort even if it was a small one.

"Let's stay around here a bit until you get used to it," Jin heard Kazuya say over the wind and engine.

_My life is spared!_

Whenever Kazuya said things like "too far!" or "I said a left not a right!" or "we won't make that turn at this speed!" or "slow it down already, you're gonna' give me a heart attack!"

Jin tried desperately to ignore all the danger around him so that he could keep some of his sanity, but at some point, the car stopped so abruptly that he was sure he was going to fly right out of the car. That was impossible to ignore with his eyes closed.

"Geez, woman, you can't stop that quickly! Be gentle with her."

"Sorry! But when you say 'stop' like that I just wanna' slam on the breaks."

"Whatever you do, _don't_ slam on the breaks. Try it again."

Then it occurred to Jin that perhaps Jun had never driven a day in her life and that this happened to be her first time. It was too much to even dwell upon, especially when his life hung in the balance. Before they left the parking lot and the nearby side streets, Jin had already fainted from the constant rush of adrenaline and his perceived closeness to death. Perhaps it was all for the best since the two in the front continued in this way for the majority of the day, stopping only twice for gas. They went adventuring all over Japan—well, perhaps not _all_ over, but it did seem that way after driving for so long and at a non-stop pace. To say that Jun was having the time of her life was an understatement. Since she was in a good mood so was Kazuya who had successfully averted more accidents than he could count. He was quite spent by the end of the day.

They had eventually made it to another area with a great view of the ocean and it looked even more spectacular in the rays of the dying sun. Jun stepped out of the car to stretch her legs after having them scrunched under the steering wheel for so long.

"Ah, Jin! I'm sorry," Jun said as she looked into the backseat to check on his condition. She could tell if a person had passed out.

She sat down on the edge of the seat in the back and gently pulled the other to her lap.

"Guess I should have slowed it down a little…at least for your sake."

Kazuya had gotten out of the car as well and leaned against the driver's side door. He seemed to be paying more attention to the setting sun than her with his eyes. "I told him to close his eyes."

"Yeah, like that was going to work."

Then they both laughed at this. From the outside looking in, any sane person would think them crazy and they were acutely aware of this fact.

Jin awoke to their laughter, but he did not sit up immediately when he heard their voices still talking to one another. For some reason, he just felt like eavesdropping. At least he could get some reward after being frightened half to death.

"Hey, Kazuya, you ever think about having children?"

"Pft, no. What bought this on?"

"Oh, nothing in particular…" Jun said as she ran her hand through Jin's hair. It was something Jin had remembered her doing to him when he was younger.

"Right, and I'm supposed to believe that you just thought about it out of the clear blue. You wouldn't happen to be…pregnant, would you?"

"No, of course not!" Jun said a little too loud.

"Hm?" he said finally turning his gaze to her. "No need to get all bent out of shape."

"I'd of told you about something like that already if it were true."

"Listen, Jun, I don't want any kids, but…"

Jin couldn't hear the rest of the sentence when Jun left her position and they walked further away from the car. Anxious to hear more, he peaked his head up to the open window so that he could hear better. All he heard was snatches of it. Something about a "curse" and "too much trouble anyway". Jun's voice was too light to be heard. Jin wished that he could have heard more. Something told him that he was missing something quite important.

"Oh, you're awake," Jun said as they were returning to the car. "Sorry about the rough ride. I promise you, you won't have to go through that again if it affects you so much."

"I'm just…happy to be alive."

Jun smiled at him when he said this. "Don't worry; your life was never in danger. We were just having a little fun."

Jin's eyes grew wide when she proceeded to sitting down in the driver's seat. "Are you…?"

"I _can_ drive, you know."

"You can?"

"Like I said, just having fun. Although, this car is a lot touchier than mine. One small tap of the pedal and it accelerates instantly just like the breaks. It takes a little getting used to, but I'm sure I can handle myself."

Jin let out a sigh of relief just as Kazuya climbed into the passenger side.

"I'd still keep that seatbelt handy," Kazuya said with a grin.

"Oh, stop, I'm not _that_ bad."

Jun turned on the ignition, but forgot to take the car out of neutral. For a moment there when she pressed the accelerator, the car simply revved up.

"Just flood the engine," Kazuya said in a tone that was far too relaxed in Jin's opinion. Flooding the engine didn't sound like a good thing.

Jin quickly put on his seatbelt. "This is _your_ car, right? Why don't you just drive it?" Jin finally complained to Kazuya who was calmly looking out the window as Jun backed up too quickly for Jin's liking.

He only shrugged. "Don't feel like it. Jun can handle it."

"Calm down, Jin, I promise we won't get into a crash. Look, I'll even drive slower."

"Not too slow," Kazuya warned, "We're still a ways off from home."

"We'll be home before you know it," Jun reassured him.

Jin's eyes were glued to the road for the first twenty minutes, but after a while, even he began to relax.

"Doing okay back there?"

"I'm fine," Jin said back.

This time he really could enjoy the ride. The wind was quite pleasant. Since they were on a bridge, he was surrounded from both sides with water. Being in the mountains, he wasn't used to the sight of so much water especially not driving over it on a bridge.

"Oh, he's asleep," Jun said quietly when she glanced over at Kazuya who hadn't said anything in a while. "Well, looks like it's back to work for me tomorrow," Jun said to Jin. "I may have to leave you with Kazuya."

"I don't mind waiting outside where you work," Jin said quickly. _There's just no way I'll…_

"I wish it were that easy. If I had a job like Kazuya's, then maybe, but I don't always know where'll I'll be half the time and I don't want to drag you around to so many different places."

"What _is_ your job?"

"I work for the government. I'm in an organization called WWWC that protects all wildlife. I feel more like a detective these days. You can see why I don't usually stay in the same place for long. There's a central building where I go and make my reports, sure, but other than that I'm on the move."

"Sounds exciting."

"It is. You'd be surprised at how mean we humans can be towards animals. I like what I do. I guess in some ways I can say that I'm helping to make this world a better place."

_That doesn't sound like Mom at all…_Indeed, Jin never thought of his mother being such an activist, but the Jun here was far less complacent than the one he knew. How was hiding away in some mountains for who knows what reason anything like "making the world a better place"?

"Kazuya, here has a far less exciting job, at least in my opinion. He doesn't look it, but my Kazuya is a businessman."

Jin cringed a little when she said "my Kazuya".

"Can you believe it? He's the CEO at the huge financial empire known as the Mishima Zaibatsu. It wasn't always like that though, but he worked hard to get to where he is now."

Now Jin had a clearer picture of him: a rude, corporate tyrant who trampled over his mother's heart. Jin's eyebrows furrowed at this. He wondered how his mom could ever meet such a person. They seemed to live in completely different worlds. A person who had to hustle every day to get ends meet versus a person who mostly sat down all day barking orders didn't seem like a match at all.

"He has work tomorrow too, but I'm sure he'd be willing to take you with him. It could be pretty boring though."

Tomorrow didn't sound like it was going to be a cheerful day and certainly less eventful than this one. "Tell me again why I can't just stay at your place?"

"I may have need for it. I'm not sure. Better to be safe than sorry."

"You think Kazuya will let me stay at his?"

"He's not nearly as charitable as me."

_You don't have to tell me that twice…_

"If I asked him to, I guess he would, but…"

"What is it?"

"I know that he doesn't want to so it wouldn't be right. Just like I'm sure he wouldn't tell me to do something I really didn't want to."

"Oh…alright," Jin said not fully understanding what she was going on about.

They were in the city limits now and the red lights were annoying after spending so much time on the freeway.

"Just have to make a short stop," Jun said to Jin.

They made it to a small corner store and Jin watched Jun walk in and then out of sight. Jin still had his seatbelt on and made no moves towards unfastening them. All he could hear for five long minutes were the soft snores of Kazuya and the sound of cars going by them. Jin looked out his window at the surroundings. It was all foreign to him. He had never seen a world so full of manmade things. There were a few trees here and there, some grass perhaps, but everything else was put there by human hands. There was far more structure and practicality to everything. The world seemed orderly. Jin was startled out of his thoughts when the door slammed shut on the driver's side. He hadn't even seen Jun get back in. She handed Jin a hot cup of ramen after she made herself comfortable in the seat.

"We sort of neglected dinner today. Kazuya's gonna' be so hungry tomorrow."

"Just wake him up then," Jin said voicing the obvious solution, "Hey, Kazuya—

"You don't want to do that," Jun said quickly.

"Oh, why not?" Jin said in a serious tone.

"Because it's funny what he does," Jun said unable to keep the amusement from her tone. "And he made me promise not to tell anyone…"

Now Jin was becoming curious.

"Oh, it's nothing really," Jun continued unable to help herself. Then she whispered the rest in Jin's ear for the small chance that Kazuya might have been listening.

"Really?" Jin asked with the first grin he had given all day. "I want to try."

"Won't work. He only responds to my voice," Jun said with an almost devious smile. It was something that Jin wasn't used to seeing on her face. She leaned over closer to Kazuya so that she could speak directly in his ear. "Hey, Kazuya, I have some ramen for you."

"Don't bother me while I'm actioning my deliverables…" Kazuya murmured.

"What does that even mean?" Jin asked in a whisper not daring to speak too loud else the other wake.

Jun shrugged back, "He doesn't always make total sense." Then she turned back to Kazuya. "You sure about that? It's one of your favorite flavors. I know you're hungry."

"…Stop arguing about objectives and start handing out assignment capsules…"

Jin was just as confused as before, but Jun found it to be quite amusing.

"Business jargon," Jun concluded.

"What a boring dream."

"Remember, Jin, a CEO of a financial empire. I'm sure it's a demanding role. I think visualizing what it is you're going to do isn't a bad way to pass the time."

The engine started up and soon Jun was back out on the road and then on the freeway once again. It took them more than a few hours to get back to the place they first started in the Yamaga prefecture. By then, even Jin was feeling a bit drowsy. Staring at rows upon rows of trees speeding by could only be entertaining for so long. When the engine shut off once again, it was like an alarm clock as Jin became more attentive. They had arrived at a fairly large house. It couldn't be Jun's place.

"Jin, I'm sorry about today. I didn't mean to make you so uncomfortable. It was selfish of me."

"It's alright really," Jin said caught off guard by the intensity of her apology, "You can stop feeling bad about it. I'm okay."

"I'm not really so reckless you know. It's just…whenever Kazuya is there, he makes me feel invincible. I feel safe. If anything were to happen, he'd be there to protect me and defend against any threat that comes. I know it sounds silly, but somehow, I can't stop thinking that it's actually true."

_It's not true at all, Mom. _"How did you guys meet anyway?"

Jun was silent for so long that Jin was about to repeat the question. "It wasn't like that. I don't know if the feeling is mutual, but I felt as if I was 'drawn' to him. We somehow kept running into each other until I decided one day to approach him."

Jin was mystified by her response

"Well, we're here," Jun said after Jin had no more to ask her. She had to shake Kazuya into wakefulness.

He yawned first before saying: "Hun, that was quick."

"Yeah right, only took like five hours," Jun replied with a laugh.

They both got out of the car.

"Wait, we're not going to your place?" Jin asked Jun.

"His house was closer. Also, it's only two miles away from where I work and about five miles from where Kazuya works. It's really convenient."

Jin got out of the car as well just as the hood of the car began slowly sliding back on. He was a little startled when the car made a locking sound. It was all courtesy to Kazuya's rather fancy set of keys and small controller. Jin trailed behind Jun as Kazuya opened the door to his house.

"Ah, looks like you've cleaned up around here," Jun said as she inspected the first room they walked into, "Last time—

"Last time, I wasn't expecting company. I'm still not, but I could do without the nagging."

Jun smiled at him wistfully, "Are you calling me naggy?"

"Oh don't use that tone. You can be when you want to."

"You'll thank me one day. Where's Jin going to sleep?"

Jin heard the other sigh before he turned to him. It was like they had avoided each other's gazes all day. The way they looked at each other, they might have been complete strangers.

"See that hallway," Kazuya said pointing to his left, "After you see a bathroom, make another left and go into the first room you see. That's yours…for now."

"You're being so generous," Jun said in a tone that suggested that it wasn't his usual behavior (It probably wasn't).

"Okay, thank you," Jin said quickly before the words could get caught in his throat. With Jun there though, he knew that it was something that she would want him to say after someone showed him charity.

"Oh, and the bathroom has towels and rags in it, you can use those and anything else you need. I've never used that bathroom a day in my life," Kazuya said as an afterthought much to Jun's delight.

"Thank you," Jin was forced to say again.

He wasn't even going to ask where the two of them would be sleeping tonight. The way she hung all over him…Jin shook his head. It was too much even to think about. With drooped shoulders, he made his way to this new room of his and despite himself was quite impressed with it. The bed was bigger than even a King's size and the covers and pillow alike were clean and very soft looking. The room itself was quite large. There was a flat screen on the wall and a large window on the next wall. Had Jin ever been to a hotel, he might have made a comparison to that and his room.

_Remember, Jin, this is the man that you've said countless times before you hate. He's only being nice because Jun's there watching, but get him by himself and he'll show his true colors. You came here to do something. You have to sabotage their relationship…it's the only way. But how? How can one lone kid even hope to do that?_


	3. To Work

AN: Don't worry other Tekken fic, I'm still thinking about you despite the slight case of writer's block or lazy-person block. XD. Without further ado:

/

Chapter 3: To Work

Jin hadn't closed his door at all, but he was awoken by sudden sharp knocking noises. He looked across the room and saw that it was Kazuya already fully dressed. He almost didn't recognize him. He had worn such regular clothes yesterday that a suit seemed abnormal. Now that he saw him in this attire, however, he could actually believe that he was in fact a businessman.

"You planning on sleeping all day? You have thirty minutes to get ready."

Jin felt slightly uncomfortably when he noticed Kazuya looking at him for a moment longer than usual.

"Well, I have to get ready," Jin said as if to say instead: "You can leave now."

But Kazuya stood in the doorway a little longer. "You know, some would say that it's quite easy to spot a Mishima, that they all seem to have similar physical traits."

"Wh-what are you trying to say?" Jin asked becoming more than just uncomfortable. _Could he really have figured it all out? Impossible…_ He wasn't sure what a "Mishima" was, but he rightly assumed that it was Kazuya's family name.

"I'm saying, what fool _wouldn't_ think that we're related somehow."

Jin found himself unable to breathe. _Impossible! _"I don't think we're related at all."

Kazuya grinned, "Your certainty is puzzling—considering that you claim 'amnesia'."

_It's all over. He's knows that I'm his son from the future who somehow time traveled to the past in order to disrupt their relationship!_

"What were you doing on a Saturday night roaming the streets in that part of town? I've seen no evidence of an injury that would even suggest something like forgetfulness."

Jin couldn't think of a good excuse. He was totally exposed.

"Well? Can you even explain yourself?"

Jin shook his head slowly.

"Hm, as I thought." Jin felt trapped in his penetrating gaze. "Thirty minutes," Kazuya repeated and then just like that disappeared from his doorway.

_Wait, he's just going to leave? What is he planning? _In any case, Jin was able to breathe normally again. He took less than thirty minutes to get ready and quickly made his way to the front room where Kazuya stood waiting for him.

"You made good time," Kazuya said simply.

Jin waited for him to say more, but soon he was following the other out to the Corvette. Kazuya had said nothing about what they had previously been talking about, but Jin was already too anxious about it to simply let the topic rest.

"Is that it?" Jin asked, "Is that all you have to say about me?"

Kazuya only afforded the other one glance.

"Fine, then just ignore me. Pretend like you don't see anything wrong with this picture."

"I don't feel like discussing this any further. If I were in your shoes, I'd shut-up about it already."

Jin knew when he could no longer push the issue so he simply sat there on the passenger side in silence. It still didn't answer any of the questions Jin had. How much had Kazuya figured out? How much had he decided to keep to himself? And why would he want to do such a thing? Was there some unseen plot? Jin was lost so deeply in thought that he scarcely knew when they got to Kazuya's workplace. When he looked up, his eyes grew wide. The building was towering. There had to be more than twelve floors to the entire thing. In fact, he couldn't even see the top of it.

"I don't have all day," Kazuya finally said startling the other out of his wonderment.

"Is it okay if I stay here?" Jin asked unwilling to actually go inside with him.

"Keep pushing your luck, kid. I already don't trust you. Better that you stick with me so I can keep an eye on you."

_So he does know. He _has _to know._ Jin climbed out of the car and then proceeded to following the man through two sets of sliding doors. Then they rode an elevator that took them all the way to the twelfth floor. Everywhere Jin looked, he saw men and women dressed in the same formal attire. They all seemed to know who Kazuya was as they waved and said "Good Morning, sir." Kazuya didn't always respond back, but when he did, it would be sharp and curt. Even a simple "good morning" could sound harsh on Kazuya's tongue. Jin wasn't exempt from all the attention they were giving Kazuya. He realized suddenly that it must have been an odd sight for a boy who looked like he should have been in middle school to be following a man who probably could care less about children.

"Hey, I didn't know you had a kid," one of the employees said to Kazuya.

Kazuya stopped to look at the other. Jin couldn't tell if he was surprised or entertained by this. "Well, I didn't know either," Kazuya responded with a grin that was mischievous in nature.

But this wasn't the last time someone commented on this. Each time Kazuya would either say something that was either cryptic or just plain sarcastic leaving the commenter with more questions than answers. Well, at least Jin knew that Kazuya wasn't just being vague with him for the hell of it—it seemed to be something he did on a regular basis, but obviously only on matters which he didn't want to discuss. That alone wasn't what troubled Jin. It was the fact that he had not actually denied the fact that he was his son. He never once turned around and said something along the lines of "he's no son of mine—he's just a kid that Jun found off the street." There'd really be no reason for all the ambiguity if he would just say it. Why go through all the trouble? _Unless_…Jin didn't even want to finish his thoughts. He was glad than they finally made it to Kazuya's office. While he was now trapped in a room with Kazuya, he was away from all the curious people.

"What gives?" Jin finally asked to Kazuya as he made his way over to his rather large desk.

Upon viewing the mass of papers on his desk, it seemed more like organized chaos. Mostly, things seemed color-coded, but instead of neat piles they were spread out in a messy fashion.

"What do you mean?" Kazuya asked taking a seat.

"Why didn't you just tell them the truth? That I'm just some random kid off the street."

"Are you?" Kazuya asked casually, "Truthfully, I don't know who you are. Although, telling them something along the lines as you said would seem rather strange, wouldn't it? Better to have them think we're related to avoid any prying questions."

_Wait a minute…Maybe he doesn't know. Maybe he was just assuming things this morning…But he still doesn't trust me…There's nothing I could do for that anyways…_

"I guess."

"I'm sure Jun told you about how boring this is going to be. Go sit at that bench over there and don't bother me. If you must use the bathroom, ask me first, then go. Don't go wandering off. I'll know if you do."

_Let the good times roll_ Jin thought bitterly as went over to the before mentioned bench. It wasn't like it was one of those horrible metal ones. This one was well cushioned and had gilded armrests. He'd be comfortable for a while, but he knew pretty soon that he'd tire of sitting in the same place. Kazuya seemed so engrossed in whatever he was doing that Jin was certain that if a bomb went off nearby he'd completely ignore it. Jin experimented on this fact as he made funny faces at the unsuspecting man and got no response whatsoever. Even so, Jin still feared for his life and went back to just sitting there. He looked up in fear when he heard more movement than usual, but it seemed that the other had only moved to take something out of one of the drawers in his desk. Jin breathed normally after this. That was the last time he would try something like that.

A few entertaining things occurred when important looking men or women would walk in to report something. Then a conversation would proceed that Jin could never hope to follow. All Jin knew is that at the end of the whole thing, Kazuya's desk would become even more populated with stacks of paper. Most of those who stepped into his office were quite submissive and it would usually sound like Kazuya was in control of everything. On rare occasions, there'd be someone to challenge him. That was when Jin was the most attentive. Again, he couldn't follow their words especially not an argument, but it was comforting to know that there was more than just him who didn't like the man. Often, most arguments would end when Kazuya proclaimed that he didn't want to hear any more of it, but twice that day it didn't happen quite like that. Jin would find himself scooting further back on the bench when it seemed like the argument would escalate into an actual fight. It never actually happened, but Jin witnessed a look in Kazuya's eyes that made him shudder involuntarily. Had they been in a different setting, Jin had no doubt that Kazuya would have proceeded to tearing him apart limb from limb.

Jin had wanted to leave. All he wanted to do was be with his mother, safe. The longer he stayed in Kazuya's presence the more in danger he began to feel. For all the boredom he was forced to sit through, he hadn't even once fallen asleep—his nerves were too much on edge. Hours and hours passed and all he heard was the rustling of papers at random intervals and utter silence as he continued looking over everything. The stacks of paper on his table never lessened. Jin suspected that it was because he still had to deal with the papers that had been there before. It seemed exhausting. Jin _almost_ pitied the man. But the whole time he was there, Kazuya never showed any signs of being tired of or fed up with anything he was doing. Jin decided right then and there that he would _not_ be the CEO of any type of business. There was no way he could sit around for hours and hours on end.

Jin was unaware when lunchtime came around until Kazuya stood up.

"Jin," Kazuya began. It was enough to get the boy's attention. He'd never once heard Kazuya call him by name. It was quite unnerving. "Want to do something besides just sitting there?"

"S-sure," Jin said uncertain of what he was getting himself into. It couldn't be anything good coming from Kazuya.

"Go get me some lunch."

His face fell immediately afterwards, "Why me? It's not like I know where to get it."

"You can read, can't you, boy? Just follow the signs to the food court. Get two trays—one for yourself, one for me."

Jin noticed that he had neglected to answer his first question, but he decided that it would be wise not to repeat it. "Um…what do you want?"

"The same as you. We obviously have the same taste."

"No we don't," Jin said immediately, "What would make you say that? I-I _love_ shrimp burgers."

"Liar."

Jin was speechless before the truth as he blinked back twice. _This man…he must be omniscient!_

"You're an easy person to read. Get going already—lunch doesn't last forever."

Jin left the room reluctantly. He might have wanted to say something else, but he was unable to move his mouth. He followed the signs on the wall as Kazuya had instructed. It was really nothing to it. Many other employees were headed to the same place. His eyes were downcast during the entire journey to the food court. What could he, a little boy, ever hope to accomplish before the might of Kazuya? Already he had given away too much. He had given Kazuya a few good reasons to remain cautious around him. Kazuya was in the prime position to ruin his plans. In fact, he was in the prime position to actually figure out what his plans were. There was still one advantage that Jin was sure that he still had—Jun. She was a force to be reckoned with. Without her, Jin was certain that Kazuya would have no reason to continue "playing along" with everything. There must have been some reason Kazuya hadn't shared his suspicions with Jun if he had already suspected that Jin wasn't what he said he was. Then Jin stopped in his tracks just as he reached the food court. _He's trying to…spare her feelings._ Could it be true? Could it be that Kazuya was trying to protect her from Jin? That could easily explain why Jin was having a harder and harder time trying to speak with Jun in private. _Maybe he's…Am I just being paranoid or…_Jin shook his head. None of it could be true. There was a reason Jin did not like his father even before meeting him. He had already deemed the man evil and now that Jin met him in person he could sense a certain darkness about him. A person like that was incapable of feeling. There was no way he'd ever want to protect Jun from anything no matter how much Jun assumed that he would. Jin decided that if things weren't working out for him, it was simply because he was not working hard enough. He needed to put more effort into achieving his goal. _Yes, that's it…I have to remember why I'm here. It certainly isn't to sympathize with the enemy._

For now he just needed to find some food. The sound of food sizzling on a grill drew Jin's attention quickly. There was teriyaki, of course, but there was also yakitori, jingisukan, and yakizakana—all of which were dishes that combined grilled meat and vegetables. Jin went to where the trays were and grabbed two of them. He started walking over to the section he had seen before, but something stopped him. He knew what he was going to do next was wrong, but he knew he had to do something—something to show Kazuya that he was not afraid and that he accepted his "challenge". The time for wondering about what Kazuya knew or didn't know had passed—now was time for retaliation.

/

Jin balanced the trays carefully as he made his way back to Kazuya's office. There was no way to tell if Kazuya had even so much as left his office the entire time as Jin finally came back with the food. Kazuya's eyes were still running over a light blue colored sheet of paper even as Jin walked in called out that he was back. It took a moment for Kazuya to respond who quickly ordered the other to "stop standing there and put it on the table". Jin did so obediently and walked back to his original seat on the bench.

Jin looked down at his plate. Raw fish, all of it. It was exactly the sort of thing that Jin had no taste for. There wasn't enough soy sauce in the world to disguise the fact that it was just raw fish. The taste of it was odd and weak—it was no match for the superior taste of yakitori. If it was indeed true that they had the same tastes, then Kazuya wouldn't be very pleased with the selection as well. Jin glanced over at Kazuya numerous times, but he still hadn't even so much as looked at the tray. There was still the blue sheet of paper. Jin watched the sheet of paper intently since Kazuya held it up in a slanted fashion. It felt like hours (but it was only five minutes) when the sheet of paper returned to the mess of paper on the table and finally Kazuya beheld the food. Jin was already looking away and pretending like he was going to start eating. He hadn't gotten up the nerves yet to actually put something he clearly distasted into his mouth. For a while, all he did was poke at it with his chopsticks.

"What the hell is this?" Jin heard Kazuya say.

Jin still looked down at his food nervously. He waited patiently for the explosion of anger.

"I see," Kazuya said simply with a sigh, "I don't have time for your childish games."

Jin felt the other's gaze on him and then, in a flash, it was gone. He still poked at his food, but he stole a glance at Kazuya again. To his surprise, Kazuya had already started on the food in a very unperturbed manner. _Maybe we don't have the same tastes…I'm relieved…a little. How am I supposed to get back at him now?_ Jin grimaced at the rice and fish and finally took one single bite of it. In the time that he took to do this, Kazuya had finished. Jin tried for another bite, but after that he didn't think he could take anymore. When a shadow came over him, Jin looked up instinctively.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" Kazuya asked in a none too cheerful voice.

Jin could only look at the other.

"Aren't you going to eat it?"

_He thinks he has the upper hand!_ "Fine, I admit it. I don't like it at all. So can I throw it away already?"

"Why would I let you do a thing like that? You went through all the trouble of getting it—it'd be unthinkable to just get rid of it."

"Stop playing around. You're just mad 'cus you ate it and you want me to do the same thing!"

"Eat it," Kazuya ordered in a deceptively calm voice.

"Tch, no."

"Eat it now!"

"You can't make me do anything."

"Ungrateful, little boy. I'm not going to let you waste food on account of your silly games. Now, you eat what you got from the food court or I will force it down your throat."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

Jin hated himself for it, but he just wasn't daring enough to see just how serious Kazuya was. Jin decided to give it a rest for now—his target was Jun anyway. Pissing Kazuya off too much could potentially ruin his plans altogether. His chopsticks clamped on another piece of sushi and he dipped it in the soy sauce (or more like drowned it) and ate it quickly. Had Jin been familiar with the show Fear Factor, he might have felt that he had somehow been teleported onto that very show. Jin was only glad when the entire ordeal was over. He was then ordered to take the trays back which he did promptly. He felt like he was suffocating in the office despite its enormous size. Before he stepped back inside, he took a deep breath. There was no telling what kind of mood that man could be in. It was hard to tell whether he was ready to eat his head off or "discuss" something. Jin walked quietly back to his seat and dared not make any more eye contact with Kazuya. Despite that, he could feel the other's gaze on him. _What is it now? You already got back at me for what I did. You want to add insult to injury?_

"You did that in spite of me, huh. You better be careful with a thing like 'hate'."

_I don't believe this…Is this man trying to lecture _me? _He's in no position!_

"Don't waste your energy on something like that unless you have a good reason. Listen, I may not be the most 'likeable' person you've ever met—

"I _do_ have a good reason," Jin said unwilling to hear any more of the other's admonishments. _Crap…I think I've said too much!_

"We've only just met and yet you say that with such conviction. Was it something that someone else told you? You can't believe what everyone says about—

"No," Jin interrupted.

"You know, I have plenty of enemies. If you are here on their behalf—

"No," Jin interrupted him again. "It's not that."

_How could I have been so wrong? This man doesn't even have the slightest clue of my intentions or why I'm here. If I had done nothing this day, he would not have suspected a thing._

"Is it some big secret then? Why not just say it, boy?"

Jin was closemouthed by then. There was no way he would indulge the man any further.

"You'd persecute someone without ever telling them what they're guilty of? Surely, even you can see the wrong in doing that. Who knows? Perhaps there's some way to appease you."

_Peace talks? Why is he talking like this all of a sudden? He must have something up his sleeves…_

Jin continued in his silence. He never once looked up at the other.

"Keep your secrets then. You say you have amnesia, right? Why don't you wait before doing something stupid? There may be some piece of your memory still missing."

_He still thinks I have amnesia…But I thought…_

"I see you don't feel like talking. That's fine. We still have a lot of long hours ahead of us. Why don't you try to get some sleep—it'll make the time go faster."

After a while, Kazuya simply returned to what he was doing in the first place. Jin stole a glance at him and saw that the other had taken to reading a rather thick and heavy looking booklet. He watched as every so often he would pause to highlight something and write a few things on the side and then continue on reading in this kind of cycle. It seemed tiring, very tiring. Just looking at the size of that book frustrated Jin. He stood by his statement that he would never become a CEO of some big business. Is this really what he did every day? Then again, this could just be "one of those days". Maybe there was a more exciting part of his job, but that was only wishful thinking.

At some point, Jin really did find himself falling asleep. It was painfully boring. The turning of pages became like a lullaby. He wasn't sure what he dreamed of if he did dream in the first place. Hours seemed to pass like seconds. It felt like only a few of those had passed before he was awoken by Kazuya's voice.

"Hey, kid, we're done here."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

When the two of them walked back out into the hall, Jin noticed that most of the lights were turned off. It looked as if the majority of the staff and even janitors had gone home already. Just how much overtime had Kazuya done today? Jin wondered if he had done it to spite him, but further thinking led him to believe that it wasn't the case. He did seem to legitimately have a lot to do. When they got out to the car which was by now parked in a largely empty parking lot, Jin took his seat in the passenger side and Kazuya in the driver's seat. Jin couldn't wait for a change of scenery.

"Let me get some rest for a few moments, alright, kid; then we can go."

"I have to wait longer?"

"If you want to drive, then be my guest," he said closing his eyes.

Jin looked from the steering wheel to the stick shift and took a deep breath, "Alright then, I _will_."

"You crazy, kid? Course I'm not going to let you drive," he said without even bothering to open his eyes.

"But I saw how you're supposed to do it. Can I at least try?"

"If I planned on dying, I'd think of a less painful way," Kazuya said finally looking at the other directly. "All you have to do is just sit there."  
>"You let Jun do it," Jin accused.<p>

"That's different—she's an adult. Besides, she can take care of herself…even when she says that she can't. You, on the other hand, have probably never ridden in a car until yesterday."

_How does he know that!_

"You're still easy to read, kid," Kazuya said as if he had been reading the other's thoughts. Then he sighed. "Fine, let's just go now. It's not that far away anyways."

Jin was only glad to officially be out of that place altogether. It was indeed a short drive, but it was like being tossed a lifeline from the sea of boredom. Jin was looking out the window the entire time. He got out of the car when they arrived at his house once again.

"Something wrong with Jun's place?" Jin asked the other.

"Something wrong with my place?" Kazuya said back as he went up to the door.

When he stepped inside the house, he was already heading off to his room.

"Today must have been a bit rough for someone who had nothing to do for so many hours. You don't have to go back to your room and sulk the rest of the day away—it's not like you're on lock-down."

Surprised, Jin looked back at the other.

"Use the TV if you like—that's about the only thing I have for entertainment. The one in your room doesn't have cable, but the one in the living room does. Anyways, I'll be in my room."

_He's being nice again. Should I be worried?_

"Could you do me a favor?" Kazuya asked the other.

"And what's that?"

"Wake me up at 11. I hate using alarms."

"What happens at 11?"

"It's when I have to pick up Jun from her work."

"You mean she's still at work?"

"She tends to overdo it a bit, but trust me, time works differently when you're doing something you love."

Jin watched the other recede further into the house. He took this moment to explore the house when no one was watching him. He found the living room quick enough. Then he went on to discover three bathrooms, five closets, a large and untouched kitchen, and four rooms, one of them could have been a den, another held no purpose whatsoever, and the other two were bedrooms. One of the two bedrooms was Kazuya's of course. The door was open so it was easy to make such conclusions. Jin wanted to check something so he crept in. Jin noted that Kazuya hadn't even bothered to take off his suit jacket or his shoes which Jin assumed hung off the bed for obvious reasons. Jin went over to the side of the bed where his head was turned to.

_I wonder if this will work._

"Kazuya," Jin began nervously—he realized suddenly that this was the first time he had dared to utter that name— "Do you plan on doing something to harm, Jun?"

Jin hated referring to his mother has "Jun" instead of "Mom", but it couldn't be helped. He waited for the other to respond, but nothing occurred. He repeated the question a couple more times in a louder voice. The third time was the charm—or at least he got some kind of response even if it wasn't the one he was looking for.

"Brat, you're being noisy. Go play someplace else besides my room."

Jin wasn't sure if he had really been referring to him since he still had his eyes closed. Kazuya gave what he assumed was a light shove as he used the soft part of his palm and thrust it forth upon Jin's forehead. It was an action that easily sent Jin tumbling to the ground. Needless to say, Jin was quite shocked by this for more than one reason. In fact, he didn't stand up for some time.

"You still here?" Jin heard Kazuya's voice say from above him, "If you have something to talk about, let's do that sort of thing later."

"I was just leaving," Jin said quickly as he scrambled out of the room.

_Guess she was right…it only works with her…_

Jin returned to the living room for the time being and tried out the television. Really, he didn't know what to watch. He found himself flicking through all the channels at least three times. He would pause on one station for a second longer than usual and then move on. He caught the beginning of a movie and kept it on the channel for the rest of the time. Even while the movie was on, he kept an eye out on the clock. Jin only had to wait an hour before he got Kazuya up. It wasn't very hard when the time came.

"Go wait for me out in the car," Kazuya instructed the other.

With a nod, Jin went to the living room and turned off the television and then exited the house. He was in a good mood now. Not only were they going to pick up Jun, Kazuya's amiability was beginning to lighten the air between them. Jin heard the doors unlock and looked over towards the house to see Kazuya approaching. This time, Jin sat in the back.

"Is that really all you do at work?" Jin questioned the other.

"Well, not all the time. Tomorrow would be a little more exciting—exciting meaning that I _wouldn't_ be in an office all day. There are quite a few meetings scheduled tomorrow. Today I was just preparing for that. People will ask the questions and wait for the chance to pounce on you if you show any signs of hesitancy. Before you ever think of doing something, you must first setup a plan and then prepare yourself for any obstacles that could befall you."

It was perhaps the most Jin had ever heard Kazuya say to him. The last sentence though, was a little haunting. Wasn't he trying to do something himself? What kind of plan could he possibly think up in his position?

"I don't think it'd be very realistic to drag you off to so many meetings. People are already asking questions. It would be best not to push my luck."

"So I won't be going with you tomorrow?"

"We'll have to see."

In a snap, they were pulling up to a building that wasn't nearly as grand as Kazuya's place of work and it was pretty squat in comparison.

"Jun was supposed to already be out here. Wait here. She'd probably be there for the rest of the night if someone didn't pull her out."

Kazuya got out of the car and disappeared into the building. In a few minutes, he came back out with her. She was obviously in a good mood.

"I was coming already," Jun said with a laugh. "Why don't you let me drive? You look tired."

"My pleasure," he said simply as he handed her the keys, "Although, it's not like we have far to go."

Jin watched as Jun climbed into the driver's seat and Kazuya got into the other side.

"Did you guys even eat yet?" Jun inquired

"I knew there was something I was forgetting," Kazuya answered back.

Jin suddenly realized that they had in fact missed dinner—he hadn't even been aware of it.

"You'll starve this boy to death if you had to take care of him for more than a day," Jun accused the other.

"Oh, I wouldn't let him starve. Isn't that right, Jin?"

"Right," Jin retorted.

The way Kazuya had forced him to eat his lunch that day, Jin was sure that he wouldn't actually starve. He wondered if Kazuya had been referring to this incident as if to make light of it. There was no way he would be forgiven so easily.

"Let's go somewhere and eat," Jun said.

"This is the second day in a row," Kazuya complained.

"Then let's try an actual sit-down restaurant this time."

"You think one is open so late?" Kazuya asked with a frown.

"Don't worry, I know a place. I always go there when I work late. Jin, what do you say, are you up for it?"

"Anyplace that serves food is fine," Jin replied.

"That's my cue," Jun said as she turned on the engine

Jin noticed that she drove slower than she had last time perhaps for his sake. It took about ten minutes to get to the restaurant. Even by that time Kazuya was already dozing off. Jun had to drag the other out of the car. Jin was sure they were making complete fools of themselves by now.

"Who eats this late anyway?" Kazuya said to the insistent woman.

"People who like to skip dinner all the time."

"I didn't 'skip', I forgot," Kazuya corrected the other.

"Same difference."

It took them a little bit to actually get into the place with all their bantering, but eventually they did. The smell of food reminded Jin of how hungry he actually was. After sitting down, the wait for the food wasn't very long since there weren't a lot of customers at the moment.

"I guess I've seen everything," the waitress said when she came with the food, "A family outing at such a late hour."

Jin thought one of the other two would correct her. They _weren't_ a family. No one said a word of protest and Jun was all smiles when the waitress left.

"Did you hear that? She thinks we're a family!"

"It wouldn't be much of a stretch," Kazuya said nonchalantly.

Jin might have frowned at this had Jun not been so happy about it. Even he couldn't stay in a bad mood for very long not when he felt so at ease. When he looked down at his food, he made a horrifying revelation.

"How did we end up with the same order again?" Jin asked clearly upset. Kazuya's selection looked identical to his.

"Must have gotten your order wrong. You can change it if you want," Kazuya said to him.

Jin sighed exasperatedly, "No, nevermind. This is fine."

It wasn't as if he was really looking forward to what he had actually ordered anyway and after what he had eaten for lunch that day, it was time to treat himself.

"You guys are getting along a lot better today," Jun observed, "Yesterday, you guys weren't even speaking to each other."

_I still don't trust him._ Jin thought as he was looking down at his food.

"A little kindness can go a long ways," Jun said to no one in particular.

_I know what you're trying to do Mom, but in the end, it won't work. You're sleeping with the devil. No matter how nice he can be that fact will always remain. He's trying to disguise himself, but I alone can see through his façade. I alone must save you, Mom, for your own good. _

/

AN: Oh, Jin, stop jumping to so many conclusions! You're looking mad suspicious. Anyways, what's going to happen next? Will Jin finally lay down an actual plan? Is it even possible to change what's practically destined to occur? Stay tuned. (I have no idea, why I suddenly go on "announcer" mode on these author notes). Also, AniDenDav *huggles*, love you too for all your wonderful reviews. FAITHHEAVEN and AngelInTheDark19, thank you very much for reading. As long as still someone out there who enjoys reading my works, I'll keep writing.


	4. Left At Home

AN: I just want to come out of nowhere and say…I can't wait for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 to actually come out in America and also that Tekken X Street Fighter game (a much longer wait, I suppose) which in my biased opinion should be waaaay better than Street Fighter X Tekken…Anyways, on with the story!

/

Chapter 4: Left at Home

A decision had been made last night: Jin would be staying at Kazuya's house for the day. It wasn't an agreement that had come easily, but it was the only one that they could accept. Jun couldn't take Jin to her worksite and Kazuya was hard-pressed to do the same thing as he had done yesterday also noting that a child had no business in the corporate world in the first place. Of course, Jin had wanted to stay at Jun's place, but Jun was still against it if Kazuya was willing to let him stay there. Kazuya's house was simply more accommodating and convenient. Jun's apartment was made for one maybe two people—the second person having to sleep out on the couch—and Kazuya's place was spacious in comparison and Jin would have his own bedroom.

There were a few things that Jun demanded of Jin. First, was that he was not allowed to leave the premises while no adult was there—it was dangerous. Secondly, when he got hungry there would food in the refrigerator just for him. He was not to order out or go anywhere outside the house. Basically, he was not to let anyone on that he was there by himself. It seemed like he would be trapped yet again, but this time he would be all alone in a house that had almost nothing to abate the boredom that was likely to ensue. Jun assured him that she'd try to get back home as early as she could so that he wouldn't be alone for so long, but it was all the same to Jin. He watched on the doorsteps as the two of them drove off to their worksites. As soon as they were out of sight, he sighed solemnly to himself, and then walked back inside. What could he do?

For two hours he did absolutely nothing. For another hour he watched television. Then after doing nothing for some thirty minutes, he retired to his room once again. It could hardly even be called his room for all its coldness. Jin noticed something peculiar on his comforter though before he jumped into bed. In closer proximity, he realized that this was indeed a small sheet of yellow notebook paper—the kind you might find in an office. He picked up the notepaper and saw 3,841.50 yen ($50) tucked rather neatly under it. The note read like this:

_I'm sure you've noticed the money I placed on your bed. There is a mall not too far from here where you could put it to good use. Follow the direction on the back of this sheet of paper and you should be fine. As you can imagine, I could probably get in trouble for this, but I've been your age before and if I had any choice in the matter, I think I would have enjoyed shopping. You must follow these rules: Don't take any side trips—it's bad enough that you're out by yourself; don't push your luck. Try not to stare at people for too long; that will just draw unwanted attention to you. Don't flash your money around like an idiot—you'd be asking to get yourself mugged. Also, since you're walking, it'd be wise not to buy anything too heavy to actually carry. Last but not least, don't tell Jun about this (this goes almost without saying—you know how protective she is of you)._

_~Kazuya_

Jin had to read the letter twice. He could hardly believe it—he wouldn't have to be stuck in the house all day. In a flash, Jin's mind was going over all the things he could buy. He'd never been given as much back in his own time. Then again, where could he use such money—living in the mountains meant that he was wholly isolated from the rest of the world. His mom would only ever go shopping once a month and she would do it after she was sure that he was asleep—or at least assumed that he was asleep.

Jin took the money and folded it into his pocket. He held the sheet of paper in his hand so that he could have the directions in front of him. They were quite precise without being overly complicated to understand. Any person with half a brain who knew how to read could have used it to get to the mall. When Jin stepped outside and looked down the driveway, however, he felt a sense of foreboding. He had never walked so far on his own without supervision. It did seem like a bad idea, but the adventurous side of him would have it no other way. It wouldn't take so long to get there. Kazuya had even given him an approximate time range of how long it would take to get there; 30 minutes by feet. He took a step down from the porch and then stopped himself. Another thought had come to his mind—a less than honorable one.

_This is my chance…I've been waiting for the right moment and now it has come…_

Even as he had begun to grow used to living with the two of them, he had not forgotten his one true mission. The impossible had now become possible. His hand that held the letter trembled as a plan began to form in his mind. Jin wouldn't be going to the mall that day no matter how enticing it sounded. It was time to demonstrate to Jun why Kazuya could not be trusted. He could show her how conniving and secretive Kazuya could be, but he needed to take one more step further besides getting her to see this letter. He'd have to put himself into some sort of danger—not real danger, but something to make it seem like he really was in trouble. At once, Jin scrambled back into the house and left the note on Jun's side of the bed in Kazuya's room. There was no telling who would get to the room first, but in the end it wouldn't matter once Jun realized that he was missing. Besides, Kazuya had been the one who had insisted on having him stay here rather than at Jun's place. Jin had been sure Kazuya had done so because he probably didn't trust him at Jun's place.

_Now is my chance._

He'd have to hide somewhere. Someplace that was close by enough that he wouldn't actually be lost and wouldn't be caught if they started to look for him around the house. In the time he could have been walking to the mall, Jin spent it scouting the house looking for a good hiding place. There weren't a lot of decorations or adornments as was to be expected. Jin eventually ended up picking a rather obvious place—behind the bushes. There was a row of them just outside the porch just large enough for him to hide in. Plus, no one would look for him in such a place—why would he be hiding in the bushes if he was presumed lost? Surely Kazuya's first thought would be that he was lost at the mall. What reason would he have to hide? Of course, there was that chance that Kazuya could figure out his entire scheme. For all his faults, Kazuya seemed to be quite perceptive. But that was the worst case scenario and Jin was feeling optimistic.

_This has to work. If someone is deserving of luck, it should be me._

Jin waited for a bit before he reserved himself to the bushes. They would be coming home sooner than usual, Jin knew, so it would be safer if he was at his post before at least 5pm. It helped that it was a nice day, but hiding in a bush for any period of time was pretty uncomfortable. His resolve, however, allowed him to overlook this small fact. All he could see for hours on end were green leaves. For some reason, he did not doze off; his mind never wandered off to random subject and never once thought that this plan was semi-foolish. It was as if he had all the patience in the world. Only the sound of gravel crunching in the driveway awoke him from his trance.

Who could it be? Jin dared not move to get a better look. From his position, he could only see the porch stairs clearly. Turning his head to the driveway might bring him unwanted attention. He waited to see the shoes of the person as they walked up the stairs to the house.

_Please let them be white…_

He watched as white slippers climbed lightly up the steps. She obviously had a key since she got into the house quite easily. His plan was working. Why wouldn't luck be on his side? He was doing the world a favor. Five minutes later, another car drove up. Jin knew this to be Kazuya. Black, shined dress shoes walked rather confidently up the steps and he proceeded into the door. Already, Jin could hear Jun's voice as Kazuya opened the door.

"Kazuya, there you are. Have you seen Jin?" Jun asked frantically.

In fact, Kazuya hadn't had a chance to close the door before Jun was already hounding him with questions.

"What are you talking about? Is he not here?" Kazuya asked in a surprisingly casual tone.

"I haven't seen him. He's not in his room and…"

Their voices began to fade into the house. Jin knew immediately that something was off. One would think that Jun would ask him about the piece of paper first instead of asking him where he thought he could be. Jin hadn't known Jun to beat around the bush with serious matters. Could it be that Kazuya still had a chance to hide that sheet of paper? Jin frowned at this. He waited and waited and waited. Then the front door opened once again.

"Did you search everywhere already?" Jin heard Kazuya say.

"Of course I did. Where else could he be? Maybe he ran off. I knew we shouldn't have kept him here. He must have been so bored. I was so negligent. I should have done something else, _any_thing else. I should have—

"I think we did what was best under the circumstances. You of all people shouldn't be blaming yourself," Kazuya said coolly.

Jin cringed even more despite his current position—a feat in itself. Kazuya seemed to be in complete control of the situation. Maybe this plan wasn't as perfect as he thought. What of that piece of paper? Who had it? Why hadn't Jun mentioned it?

"Kazuya, do you even understand the situation? We have to find him and we don't know where to start looking. Who knows where that poor boy could have gotten off to? He could be hurt…or hungry, wanting someone to come and find him. Kazuya, what's wrong?"

"Let's start at the mall."

"Why the mall?"

"Because I may have had…something to do with his being missing."

"What?"

The way she said this even Jin began to feel a little unsettled.

"I said—

"No, I_ heard_ what you said. Now tell me how," she said in a particularly stern voice.

Jin heard the unfolding of a piece of paper. _There it is! How had he gotten his hands on it first! _

"What is this?" Jun asked in an impatient tone, "Just tell me already."

"Read it."

There was silence for one long minute. Jin could imagine the look she must have been giving the other.

"How big of an idiot can somebody be? What did you think was going to happen? I mean, at least write so a little kid can understand it! You _encouraged_ him to go to the mall—_You_ encouraged Jin to go out and get himself lost! What possessed you to do that behind my back of all things!"

"Are we going to waste our time standing here or are we going to look for him at the mall?"

"Amazing. You're not even least bit upset about this. Fine, let's go to the mall. He's not even guaranteed to be there, but let's go. _I'll _drive."

Her footsteps were not as light as it used to be. In fact, she was stomping to the car. Kazuya's gait remained unchanged. He made no protests to her driving. Again Jin was forced to wait and wait and wait. They came back hours later. Jun was none too happy. In fact, she might have been in tears.

"I'm going home," Jin heard Jun say.

In fact it was the last words Jin heard that night. Kazuya was uncannily quiet. All Jin heard was the sound of a car leaving the driveway. Then he heard Kazuya's footsteps far less assured than before. He sat right there on the steps in front of him. Jin held his breath. He was just inches away. All he would have to do is look closely and surely he would see him. All Jin would have to do is move just a little and his cover would be blown. He sat there for an eternity it seemed before finally leaving into the house. Jin was finally left alone in the dark.

He began to wonder how long he should draw this out. When he heard his stomach growl, he knew he couldn't stay like this for long. Since no one was looking, he stretched himself out more in the bushes. He couldn't come inside now. He couldn't face Kazuya alone. For now he would just have to sleep out here with prickly branches. Jin could face hunger if it meant that he would reach his one goal. At some point, he grew tired enough to actually sleep, but it was not restful in the least. Early in the morning, he was so cramped that he was forced to step out of his hiding place in order to stretch. If only he had better timing…

Before he even knew it, the front door was opening. Jin was so completely scared stiff that he couldn't even turn around to meet Kazuya's face. Jin assumed that the worst would happen. He felt that his life was in danger as his heart began beating at an uncontrollable speed. Kazuya's approaching footsteps did little to calm him. Jin couldn't look up at him when he knew that the other stood right in front of him.

"So you found your own way back home."

_Does he really believe…?_

Jin was unprepared when he felt the other's palm lay flatly on top of his bed, "I'm so relieved."

Jin looked up to him in surprise, "But I…" _But obviously I tried to get you in trouble. That paper…aren't you suspicious about how it was somehow placed on your bed like that? Anything?_

"I don't feel like thinking about all the things that could have been going through your head. Whether this was part of some scheme you planned or this was a happy coincidence—I don't care." Kazuya crouched down to the other's level, "That I didn't have to break Jun's heart so prematurely is enough. When I show her that you're fine, she'll surely forgive me."

Jin's eyebrows furrowed at this, "Just as I thought; you're using me."

"If 'using' you could bring a smile to Jun's face, then I'll 'use' you as much as I want."

"You think I did this on purpose, don't you? You're just punishing me."

"Jin, I don't think you're capable of doing something like that."

_He's trying to pull a fast one._

Kazuya stood up after that. "In any case, now that you're back, you can get yourself cleaned. After you eat something, we'll go see Jun."

Jin hated to admit it, but he was glad that he could go back in even if he was still confused about Kazuya's intentions. Just when he thought Kazuya would have thrown him to the wolves, he was doing the exact opposite. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. If he was ever going "out"-scheme Kazuya, he was going to have to come up with something a lot better. He just wasn't reacting the way he should. Was Jin supposed to believe that Kazuya hadn't put the pieces together?

When Jin came out of the bathroom, he was told that food was already waiting for him in the dining room. Sure enough, there was hot food steaming away on the table. Since Kazuya was the only other person there, Jin realized that he must have made that for him while he was in the shower. _Stop being so nice! Stop trying to confuse me!_

Kazuya made no attempt at conversation. He stayed in the living room while Jin was in the dining room. But Jin was already tiring of the charades. If he didn't confront the other quickly, then it would certainly get out of hand. Jin didn't know what Kazuya was planning to do with Jun, but it couldn't be anything good. Besides showing her that he was in fact alright, wasn't there some other plot he was trying to achieve? What else could explain Kazuya's kindness? Jin had grown to equate any sort of kindness on Kazuya's part to be completely false in nature and entirely self-serving. He may not have been too far from the truth. It was time to figure out things right here and now.

"Kazuya, I don't understand you," Jin said stolidly as he stepped into the living room. "What are you trying to pull?"

"I know my cooking isn't so wonderful, but I'm really not trying to punish you."

_Hm…well, now that you mention it... _"That's _not_ what I'm talking about. Where did you find that sheet of paper that you wrote on?"

"In my room. I'm guessing you placed it there."

"Yes, I did."

There was silence as Jin waited for the other respond, but he seemed to have nothing at all to say.

"Yes, I did," Jin repeated, "I put it there. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"What are you trying to get at?"

"Oh, don't play dumb."

"It's fine if Jun wants to call me an idiot, but a little runt like you has no business. If you have something to say, then just say it. I'm through with trying to 'figure' you out. No little boy should be this complicated."

Jin should have just kept it at that. There was no need to push the issue, but Kazuya was still not reacting the way he wanted. He was supposed to be angry. Jun could probably forgive a nice and calm Kazuya who had somehow found the missing child just so he could please her, but she might not forgive an angry Kazuya who after finding him had immediately punished him in some horrific way—Jun would have to be disgusted with such events.

"What if I told you that I never went to the mall?" Jin began again.

"It wouldn't be surprising—for some reason, you didn't feel the need to keep that paper on you. Decisions like that will get you lost in an instant."

Jin was utterly shocked by his conclusion. How could he be missing the entire picture?

"What if I told you that I purposefully didn't _go_ to the mall?"

"That you found your way home is even more surprising. We must have been looking in the wrong place the whole time."

"I…I was hiding in the bushes in front of the house the whole time," Jin finally said.

There was so much silence thereafter that Jin believed that he had finally struck the wrong cord. Perhaps Kazuya was already fuming.

"Well? Are you going to tell me why you felt the need to hide in the bushes the whole time? I assume you must have been sitting there for hours."

"Well, I was…" _trying to get you in trouble. _"I was…What do you _think_ I was doing?"

"Hmph, maybe hiding in bushes is your idea of fun—who knows? Wait a minute…"

_There! He knows. This is the moment I was waiting for._

"Perhaps you're starting to get your memories back. I can't tell you why you prefer bushes to sitting on a bench in some corporate building—that's something you'll have to figure out for yourself."

"Damn it, Kazuya, do you even realize what I was trying to do!"

Jin felt something come across his face so hard that he barely even knew it happened before crashing down painfully to the ground. He struggled just to sit back up again just when he felt hot liquid crawling down his cheek. He felt for it with his free hand and confirmed that it was indeed blood. His eyes grew wide at the sight of it. No one had ever struck him down before, not to this degree. Already, he could sense Kazuya's presence above him.

"How can I show you to Jun in that condition?" Jin heard the other say in obvious annoyance.

Suddenly, Jin despite his initial shock was grinning. _I did it. It must have been something I said._

"Are you going to sit there all day? Stand up already," Kazuya ordered.

Jin didn't want to get into any more trouble than he already was. He stood up obediently.

"Look," Kazuya began as he put his thumb and index finger over the bridge of his nose, "I don't know what came over me, but you have to promise me that you won't tell Jun about this."

"Why would I want to agree to a promise like that?"

"There are plenty of reasons I could come up with."

"I'm not going to lie to Jun."

"I guess it's too much to ask from a kid like you."

Jin wasn't sure what to make of that comment, but Kazuya seemed to drop the topic altogether. Jin was only told to clean himself up before setting off to Jun's place. Kazuya had given the other a Band-Aid so it was quite obvious that Jin was injured. Jin wondered what could be going through the other's mind. Clearly, Jun would not want to see him like that. If Kazuya wanted to, he could have easily kept him from seeing Jun—Jin had already gotten the sense that when it came to overpowering or getting someone to do something they didn't want to that Kazuya was a professional at it. Under those clothes of his, Jin could imagine rippling muscles well-trained in the art of combat. He was no pushover physically. Then why was Kazuya knowingly putting himself in trouble? Kazuya had done little more than ask him to keep things under wraps, but it had been too easy to simply deny his request. Was he missing something? Was there something he just wasn't understanding?

It took them a little over thirty minutes to get to Jun's apartment and the whole time Jin had his guard up unsure of what was going to occur. He stepped out of the car when Kazuya did and followed him to the second floor where her door was. Jin stood beside him when Kazuya knocked on the door. The door opened almost immediately.

"Kazuya, what are you doing her so earl—

It was then when she noticed Jin standing there and she suddenly burst into tears.

"Jin! You're safe—thank goodness!"

Jin found himself in a near suffocating hug from Jun—he could do little to resist it. The only thing he could do was just accept it which he did gladly. They could have been like that for hours on end had Kazuya not cleared his throat to get Jun's attention. She pulled away from Jin after a moment and stood up from her squatting position.

"Where did you find him?" Jun asked the other in a significantly less cheerful tone.

"I didn't find him. It seems he found his own way back home."

"Luck must really be on our side. Well, come on inside. I don't have work until a half an hour."

Jin stepped in first before Kazuya. If anything, Kazuya seemed reluctant to do so.

"It must have been rough trying to find your way back safely. Did you fall or something?" Jun said to Jin noting his Band-Aid.

Jin touched it gently, "Oh, this…?" He looked over to Kazuya. He was so close to the door that if he wanted to he could have bolted to his car. There was a certain amount of nervousness in his eyes that amused Jin. Could it be that the ball really was in his court? "I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking—I tripped. It was nothing serious."

Jin wasn't sure why he had decided to cover for him. Maybe tattle telling on Kazuya had seemed too easy, too childish. No one would blame him if he had gone through with telling the truth, but Jin just wasn't petty enough to do it. In any case, when Jin tried to make eye contact with the other, Kazuya pretended not to notice him. Surely now Kazuya was in his debt—it was a nice thing to keep in his back pocket.

"Stay awhile," Jun said jokingly to Kazuya. Obviously, she must have noticed his uneasiness—and the fact that he was only one standing.

Jun was already sitting on the couch with Jin. Not wanting to seem altogether awkward, Kazuya sat down as well but on the other end of the couch.

"You must be really hungry. I can make something for you right quick."

"If it isn't too much trouble," Jin answered back to her.

Kazuya snorted at this only to receive a rather annoyed glance from Jun. He might have mentioned the fact that he had not too long ago made Jin something, but for some reason he didn't even bother trying to plead his case. When Jun left them, a cold atmosphere fell upon the two occupants in the living room. Kazuya didn't even afford the other a glance.

"Well, looks like you owe me," Jin finally said after a long span of silence.

"Looks like it," Kazuya replied gruffly. "I'll repay you anything within reason, of course."

"Of course."

They said nothing more to one another. Even when Jun came back out and started light conversation with the two of them, they never once spoke to each other. Jun was far too overjoyed to contemplate what the problem was. Besides, she had a job to get to. Whatever it was, she was sure it would blow over soon.

"Kazuya, I really hope you've learned your lesson," Jun said in a serious tone, "But we still have a little bit of a problem. Where is Jin going to stay for today? I can't take him to work and it's not a good idea to keep him in a house with no supervision. Can you perhaps take him with you to your work again?"

Jin didn't like the sound of this. "Do I have—

"Jin, I know you don't like sitting around doing nothing," Jun said interrupting him, "However, it's the only option we have until we can get a babysitter. Now that I know that you're safe, I think it's time that I look for someone who can really take care of you while we're gone. It's just one more day—I promise."

"I can take a day off," Kazuya said speaking up for once. "There's nothing pressing happening today. It won't make too much of a difference if I'm not there."

Jin looked over to Kazuya with apprehension, "You don't have to do all that."

"It's no problem. It's the least I can do."

"Oh, Kazuya! Sometimes you turn around and do the nicest things. Now, you better keep a sharp eye out for him, alright? I know taking care of a kid is new for you. I might be able to forgive you, if you don't screw up today."

"Don't worry. I think I know what not to do. Besides, I already have something planned for us to do."

Jun was clearly surprised by this, "You do?"

"Isn't it time for you to be heading off?" Kazuya reminded her.

Jun glanced over at the clock on the wall. "Well, I have to go," she said as she stood up.

The three of them left the apartment at the same time. While Jun was driving off to work. Kazuya and Jin were headed in a different direction. It seemed Jin's fate had been decided that day. He wouldn't be going to anyone's workplace or staying alone at someone's house—he was to be made victim to Kazuya's every whim. Whenever Kazuya did anything that even resembled being nice Jin was automatically on edge and this was a blatant act of kindness.

_I'm ready for you, Kazuya. Do your worst._

/

AN: What exactly does Kazuya have planned? Find out on the next episode *cough* I mean, chapter of Changing Fate. I promise you, the next chapter will be far more exciting.


	5. Kazuya, You're So Nice

Chapter 5: Kazuya, You're So Nice

"So, we're going to the mall? _That's_ what you had planned."

"I'm sure you wanted to go, didn't you? Now that you have adult supervision maybe you can actually get there."

"Alright."

"Don't tell me you wanted to stay in the house all day again. If I learned anything yesterday, it's that you can't stay in one spot for too long without getting into trouble. Not that I can blame you."

Jin's silence did nothing to help what conversation Kazuya was attempting to have with him and they soon fell into their usual non-verbal state. On Kazuya's part, he did attempt to break the inevitable silence, but Jin's "yes" "no" comments were hard to combat. It took them a little less than ten minutes to get to the mall and then ten minutes to even find a parking space. Finding a front park was impossible so he eventually parked the car in the far back. When they got out, Jin followed obediently behind Kazuya until Kazuya stopped in his tracks midway through the parking lot.

"You don't have to walk behind me like that. I didn't come here for myself. This is your day."

"What does that even mean?" Jin asked as he changed his position to beside the other rather than behind.

"Are you dense or something?"

Jin's eyebrows furrowed in irritation at this.

"Come on, let's go," Kazuya said unwilling to explain himself at the moment.

When Jin finally walked in, he felt as if he had been transported to another world. He'd driven around Japan just a few days ago, but this was something he hadn't seen before. There were so many people, so many stores, so many things to buy.

"Wherever you used to live, it must have been in some far off place," Kazuya said noting Jin's awe. "Someplace where there are no cars, fast foods, or malls."

"That's impossible, isn't it? Why would I have been here in the first place?"

"Why indeed. But today you have better things to worry about." Jin looked towards him when he said this. "If you see something you like, then I'll buy it for you."

"Anything?" Jin asked in confusion.

"Anything that you see here and can be bought with money," Kazuya clarified just in case Jin wasn't aware of the obvious.

_I don't even know where to start…_Jin looked down the long hall of store after store—he had no idea which one would have what and it wasn't as if he had something specific in mind.

"Take your time," Kazuya said calmingly, "We have all day."

"It'd be nice if I actually knew where I was going."

"I haven't been here much myself. You're on your own. There's always one obvious way to figure things out."

"Which is?" Jin asked when the other didn't continue.

"Well, check each store as you pass them."

"But that could take forever."

"This is getting us nowhere," Kazuya said as walked ahead of the other. "Haven't you heard of window-shopping?—you don't actually need to go in to every store to figure out what it's selling. Most of these are specialty stores anyway. You see a shirt in the window—clothing store. You see a television in the window—entertainment or electronic store. Get it?"

Jin had already spotted a store that had caught his eye and was currently heading towards it. This one had video games displayed in the window. He'd never seen so many video games in one place; it was mindboggling.

"So you like video games?" Kazuya asked coming up from behind him.

"I don't know—I've never played one before, but it seems fun."

Jin noticed some kids playing a video game on the large television screen. He watched them for a few minutes before their mom pulled them away from it. Whatever game it was, it seemed to be two-player. He picked up one remote and copied what the other kids were doing.

"If only there was an instruction booklet. I don't even know what button to push really."

"Try the X button."

Jin looked over at the other as if he had forgotten that he had even been there. "You've played this before."

"Not at all. It just says it at the bottom of the screen."

"Wow, didn't even see that." Jin did just that and the "Kontinue?" screen turned into the screen that he had seen the other two kids on. "I think they were hitting the buttons with the symbols on it to make them moves."

"Looks like a fighting game," Kazuya said as he stepped over to pick up the other controller.

"Are you sure you've never played video games before," Jin asked in an accusing voice.

"Are you sure you weren't just living in a hole for your entire life? It isn't rocket science. Obviously, this is two-player so just making your character move won't do anything. That's the health bar on the top of the screen."

Jin watched as the non-moving character on the left side suddenly sprang into action and punched the character that he had been moving. The green bar decreased a little.

"Oh I get it, a fighting game. Whoever dies first loses, right?" Jin said.

Kazuya didn't even bother with giving an answer. "You're already losing and the time is going out."

"Wait a minute…"

Jin certainly didn't want the other to "win" so he found himself mashing in the buttons with geometric shapes on them to take down the other's health points. Of course, the character on the left side of the screen was no longer just standing there and she would not go down quietly. Jin was K. easily and then the match began again. He was beaten just as easily. Then a voice said "Jade Wins".

"I guess you have to win twice," Jin said. "I want a do-over—that was over too quick."

"If you want," Kazuya replied.

Jin lost over and over again and it kept spurring him on to the next match and next match and next. If anyone was looking, it'd certainly look like father and son playing videogames together.

"Why do you keep winning?" Jin asked a little peeved.

"Because you're one of those people who need to read the instruction booklet—and you suck at this."

Jin frowned to the other at this.

"Why don't you just buy it so you can read the instruction booklet? We've been standing here for a while."

"You mean buy the game? I don't even know what I need."

"You already have a TV. You don't have the game system or the game itself."

"But it's not like anyone's going to play it with me."

"This is just on two-player mode—I'm sure there's also a one-player mode."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll ask."

Jin watched as Kazuya got one of the employee's attention and asked about the game. The employee went into a lot details about the entire game. They even began to discuss which game system to buy. Jin had gotten used to the one he was using then and simply asked to get that one. The employee showed them where the game system was being stocked and told them about the two different models of it.

"Now, did you want the sleeker newer model or the larger, backwards compatible model," the sales clerk inquired to Kazuya.

"Which one?" Kazuya asked Jin.

"Umm…" Jin wasn't used to make choices such as these. He hardly understood what was happening. "The larger one."

"The larger one it is," Kazuya replied.

"Really, I can get this? It looks really expensive," Jin said in disbelief.

"It's not a problem. We came here to splurge, didn't we?"

"Well, _you_ haven't bought anything yet," Jin accused the other.

"You caught me red-handed. This is all part of my evil plans to draw the entire world into oblivion," Kazuya replied with a sly grin. "Truthfully, I'm not interested in too many things. There's nothing here that has caught my eye."

"Well then, leave the splurging to me. Maybe I can liven up that drab house of yours."

"Oh, so my house is drab."

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that before? There's nothing in the front yard. All the walls are _bare_ in the house. There are no pictures or decorations anywhere. It's almost like no one lives there! Your house is in desperate need of _color_."

"You know, sometimes you sound exactly like Jun. She's said the same thing to me plenty of times before."

"And yet the drabness remains."

"What can I say; I've never actually tried to change that. Does it really bother you so much?"  
>"Yes," Jin said stolidly.<p>

"Looks like it's two against one now. Since we're here, might as well try to buy some things for the house," Kazuya said casually.

"Let's start with a welcome mat," Jin declared.

They bought the game console that Jin had been looking at and then proceeded to scoping out the entire mall for house items. Kazuya was altogether unsure of what to buy, but Jin had no problem pointing out things. "Are you sure?" Kazuya would ask and Jin would always give him a confident "yes". They wound up carrying so many things that they had to make a trip back to the car to empty their hands. Jin was beginning to feel quite energetic. The fact that Kazuya would buy anything he pointed out was just now sinking in. The fact that Kazuya was being so pleasant was hard for Jin to wrap his mind around. At some point, Jin had decided that it was a complete waste of time trying to read the other person or guess his ultimate purpose. Besides, he'd rather save that for another time when he wasn't having so much fun.

Before they headed off to the food court at some point, Jin asked to go to the restroom. Since it was impossible to go into the restroom with all the bags that they were carrying, Kazuya stayed outside with them. Happily, Jin dumped all of his shopping bags on him and proceeded inside. The restroom was located down a long hallway and there were some benches just outside of the hallway where Kazuya was failing miserably at bringing order to all the bags. Of course, it didn't take long for Jin to finish up, but as he stepped out into the hallway—a thought crossed his mind. Jin hadn't forgotten the fact that this entire day was probably to prove to Jun that he was still "dependable". Kazuya could never be nice for no reason at all—it was all due to Jun. The only reason he had even suggested doing all of this was to fall into her good graces once again. Wasn't this primetime to get him in trouble once again? Jin walked down the hallway and then slowed his pace when he neared the end of it. The first thing he saw in the distance was a mountain of shopping bags rather than Kazuya himself. From his position, Kazuya obviously did not have a good view of the hallway.

_Perfect._

A part of him felt bad about what he was going to do next, but it couldn't be helped. There was no way he was going to advance his plan if he didn't do something a bit underhanded. Making sure not to draw too much attention, Jin made his way out of the hallway and escaped out of Kazuya's viewing area. Then he was free. As long as he stayed on this side of the mall and made it a point to avoid Kazuya, his plan would be a success. He'd hide somewhere in the store and then wait until morning to walk back to Kazuya's house—he had already memorized the route.

Finding a place to hide, however, was easier said than done. Any store that he saw next he walked into. If he couldn't find a proper hiding place, at least he'd be in so many places that he'd be hard to spot. There were plenty of clothing stores each catering to different crowds of people. There were also herb shops, toy stores, movie shops, game stores, and other specialty shops. Somewhere near the other end of the mall after visiting numerous stores, the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up as if someone was following him. He found himself glancing behind himself more often than not. There was no Kazuya in sight, but he was still on edge. He felt that he was being followed. His pace increased little by little until he was almost jogging. _What's going on here? Am I just being para—_

Suddenly he felt someone take up his hand. Jin looked up suddenly as he instinctively tried to snatch his hand back.

"Don't make a fuss if you know what's good for ya," the man said in quiet threatening tones.

Jin's eye furrowed at his assailant. He was a rather large man with a ton of tattoos that ran down his right arm. "What do you want?"

"Just shut-up and keep walking."

"You don't know who you're messing with—

"Oh, I think I do. You just made it all the more easy with that stunt you just pulled."

"What are you—

"Your father seems like a pretty well off man."

"He's _not_ my father."

"Doesn't matter. I haven't seen somebody buy so much in a long time. How 'bout giving back to the less fortunate, huh?" the man said with a sly smile. "We've been keeping a close eye on you and you've given us the perfect chance."

"Wait a minute, you think if you catch me you can get some money out of the person I'm with?" Jin carefully made sure not to mention any names. "It won't work."

"What do you mean?"

"He's not the kind of guy to give away money even if I am kidnapped."

"We'll just have to see, won't we?"

There was a section of the mall that was largely unpopulated due to the lack of stores in that area. The large man took him there and then guided him to a very vacant corner. Surely no one would think to come this way—there was nothing there.

"I told you, you're wasting your time!"

"And I told you to shut-up. Just stand there quietly."

"You know, he doesn't know where I am. If you want your money, you'll have to come bring him here."

"Oh…that's right. I hadn't thought of that."

Jin gave the other a look of disbelief. "So…this is your first time?"

"Little runt, I've done this plenty of times!"

Just then another man walked up. Though he was significantly smaller than the man who was holding him now, the new man clearly had a gun.

"Bruce, go find that man this kid was with. We can't get the money if he don't know where we are."

"Alright, sir. I'll be right back."

It was a wonder that the smaller man even thought to put his gun away. Jin let out an exasperated sigh as he watched the events unfold. Despite seeing the gun, it was hard to take any of this seriously. For once, he did stay quiet. He wondered if Kazuya would ever come. The two crooks would be up the creek without a paddle if that was the case. Jin wouldn't be surprised if Kazuya had already left. Then again, maybe not—he _did_ have to keep up appearances for Jun. If the man did manage to find Kazuya, why exactly would he come quietly? Jin was sure that if Kazuya felt threatened in any way he would rectify the situation quite quickly—they'd be standing there for a while for a man that was probably already unconscious.

But the unexpected happened. He heard the footsteps before he saw the actual man—it was Kazuya. When Jin could finally see the other, he noticed that Kazuya's expression suggested plain and utter annoyance. The shorter man had the gun pressed firmly to his back through a jacket wrapped around the weapon—a surprisingly clever trick to avoid getting caught by the general public. The shorter man shoved Kazuya forth a little more when he thought the other wasn't close enough to Jin and the larger man.

"I have him," the shorter man declared.

"Good. Now we can make this nice and simple. Do you know why you're here?" the larger man asked Kazuya.

"Since this is some boneheaded attempt at extorting money, one can only guess," Kazuya replied smoothly.

"Boneheaded? Listen, you two, I don't appreciate all the underhanded comments."—he was referring to Jin and Kazuya—"_I'm_ the one with the gun and that makes me the one in the superior position."

"How much do you want?" Kazuya asked simply.

"Damn it! I'm the one who's supposed to just tell you!"

"Then tell me," Kazuya replied nonchalantly.

"Alright," the larger man said instantly calming down, "I want 8 million yen—now."

"That much? And you expect me to be holding that kind of money offhand?"

"I guess that is sort of a lot."

"Why don't I give you what's left in my wallet—it'll make it easier for both of us."

"Actually, that sounds like a plan—wait a minute, what's left in your wallet?"

"About 2,000 yen. Surely, that's enough for you."

"You're making this so easy—I imagined it would be far more difficult."

"You seem like a trustworthy man. I'm sure if I gave you what you want, you'll simply hand him back over. Am I right?" Kazuya said with a smile that could only mean trouble in Jin's opinion.

"Th-that's right," the larger man agreed though he hesitated slightly. "Now hand over the money."

Kazuya deftly took out his wallet.

"B-but not so fast. Slow—do it slowly so I can see your hands."

Kazuya obediently slowed his pace. At snail pace, he opened his black leather wallet and took out the rest of the paper money out of the larger sleeve in the wallet. It was a substantial amount to keep in one's wallet. The larger man's eyes grew wide at the sight of it.

"Make sure you take all of it out," the larger man warned, "Bruce, did he get all of it."

"From what I can see," the shorter man answered back quickly.

"Now hold out your hand slowly."

Kazuya did so and the larger man slowly reached his hand out to it.

"No funny business," the larger man warned, "There's still a gun on you."

Maybe the larger man's instincts had alerted him because there was no way he could have known what happened next. He tried to snatch the cash quickly but just as quickly he was knocked out. Jin blinked once and the larger man was on the ground. He blinked for a second time and the shorter man with the gun was doubled over in pain. Jin only really saw Kazuya twirl around and ram his knee so hard into the gunman's face while doubled over that he fell instantly unconscious. Jin was too shocked to even move.

"Let's go before we draw too much attention to ourselves."

A wide-eyed Jin looked up to Kazuya and only nodded silently, but then stopped when he noticed someone behind him.

"K-Kazuya, look—

The three successions of gun shots drowned out anything else Jin could have said. A man that Jin had not seen the entire time held the cursed gun in front of him like he was warding off some kind of evil. He hit the trigger three more times, but apparently he had run out of bullets. Jin found himself looking down the barrel of an empty gun and he was utterly speechless.

"Those amateurs," the man ranted, "I can't leave them alone for five minutes and they've already got themselves bested. I guess it's your lucky day, boy."

Jin stepped back in fear. He dared not look down at Kazuya's sprawled form else he'd lose the last remnants of his courage. The man walked over the two bodies in front of him—Kazuya and the shorter man with the gun—to a point where he could press the gun against Jin's forehead threateningly.

"You better not tell anyone what you saw here today. Since you're just a kid, I'll let you live. Now, run."

Jin merely stood there with his mouth set in a straight line.

"Did you hear me, boy? I'm giving you a free pass."

Jin shook his head once.

"Oh, I get it; that was your father wasn't it, boy? You can't do anything for him now. Why don't you start thinking about your own life?"

Jin stepped back once with his eyes glued to anything besides the ground. For some reason, he was finding it hard to move. His mind still hadn't wrapped around the fact that Kazuya was—

Jin looked up when he heard gurgling noises. An arm had wrapped around the man's neck and he was struggling to get his breath back. He quickly blacked out and fell to the ground.

"Kazuya!" Jin shouted.

"You still here?" Kazuya managed to say.

Jin could tell though that the other was fighting losing consciousness as he sank to his knees.

"Don't worry…I'll call someone," Jin reassured the other as he advanced towards him.

"Jin…" he heard Kazuya say. Jin was forced to step closer to him in order to hear him. "I'm glad…you're safe."

This time he really did lose consciousness. No matter how hard Jin tried to rouse him, he did not wake.

"Damn it, Kazuya, what are you trying to prove? I try to get you in trouble and all you say is that 'you're relieved' that I'm safe or it's impossible for me to do something so underhanded—and you believed it so much that you completely looked over the obvious evidence…and now this. What, are you trying to make me feel guilty or something? You're going to have to do a lot better than that…"

Jin didn't have a cellphone, but he had seen Kazuya use one so he supposed that if he searched his pockets it would come up. He had to close his eyes so that he wouldn't have to look at all the blood. First the left pant pocket, then the right one—eureka. He dialed the emergency number and told the person on the other side of the phone what exactly had transpired. Soon, help was on its way.

"Kazuya," Jin whispered, "…I'm sorry."

/

AN: Can't wait to write next chapter. Hope you've enjoyed.


	6. I Don't Want it to Change

Chapter 6: I Don't Want it to Change

The hospital had become Jin's second home. He lived and slept there. Jun was still forced to go to work—she couldn't take any days off, but Jin wasn't faced with such obstacles. He didn't have any other place to go and really the hospital was the only other logical place to be, but this wasn't the real reason he was there. He wanted to stay there. He wanted to see the moment when Kazuya would finally wake from his coma. The doctors hadn't been altogether reassuring about the fact that this was likely to happen. All that they could do at the moment was to make sure that he was comfortable.

The hospital could be a boring place when there was no one to talk to for long periods of time and falling asleep in the chairs provided was hardly comfortable. Jin took to lying his head on the only comfortable spot in the entire room—the bed which took up the majority of the space. Every day, Jin would wake up to a very silent Kazuya and he would sigh solemnly to himself. The guilt became worse and worse and worse. Though Jin hadn't planned on telling Kazuya how exactly he had gotten to a different part of the mall without him noticing, he felt that he owed it to him to do so. Although even now, he was losing his resolve. How might Kazuya react this time? Was there even a way to smooth things over as he usually did? Jin knew that he didn't deserve as much. It was bad enough that he had gotten him into this situation, why add salt to the wound and explain that had he not been a selfish child, you would not have had to go through any of this.

Time was something that Jin hardly noticed on his own. Had Jun not come in and told him how long it had been—Jin would have been completely ignorant of it. One night when he had finally decided to call it quits for the day, he scooted his chair next to the hospital bed and laid his head upon it. This night was different from all the others—he had a dream about his mother, the one who he had left in another time. He remembered the time when his mother would tuck him into bed and insist on reading a bedtime story. Jin never made a fuss about it, he knew that doing such things made her happy and that was the only thing that had counted. Of course, a story would never be enough to tire a rather energetic Jin. It was when she would hum some bedtime tune to him and run her soft fingers through his hair that he would become drowsy. He would remember that he had spent the whole day perhaps doing chores or learning fighting technique from his mom or simply goofing around outside, he would remember that he was indeed tired.

Jin didn't expect to feel something similar to that when he woke up from a sleep that was more restful than most.

"Your hair is the same texture as Jun's."

Jin looked up in amazement when he heard that voice. He sat up from his previous position. "Kazuya, you're awake?"

"You sound so surprised."

Jin could hardly believe it. Was it over now? Was there really hope that he could fix things? "Are you gonna' be okay?"

"I suppose," Kazuya answered. "Although, I don't feel that I could move at all. It would be a pain to have to use the bathroom."

"Don't worry we'll figure something out."

"Hm, right."

Jin having never stayed in a hospital for any period of time was uncertain of that as well, but this was no time to be pessimistic.

"Tell me, how long have I been here?" Kazuya asked.

"Almost a month."

"For that long?" Kazuya said with a hint of surprise, "How could so much time pass?"

"Well…until now, you were in a coma. And the doctors… You're lucky to be alive."

"I didn't think I would die from something like that—Besides, I didn't feel as if it was my time. There were too many things that I wanted to do."

"Really? Like what?"

"Like having a family with Jun. She's always wanted one and I've always told her no. It was just the timing really. And me…I suppose. But ever since you came…If we were to have a child, I'd want him to be something like you."

Jin was caught off guard by all of it. He looked away when he said this. What exactly had he done to convince him of such a thing? He'd done nothing but hate him since the moment he saw him. How…? Jin was too shaken to say anything back immediately. Kazuya had grown silent again perhaps waiting for him to say something.

"What would make you say that?" Jin finally asked. There was such a long span of silence that Jin thought that perhaps he had said the wrong thing. "Kazuya?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry," Kazuya said as if his sleep had been interrupted which was probably the case. "You have a good heart. Jun would like a child like that."

"But I don't. That's not me at all"

"See what I mean? Who in their right minds would admit something like that so easily?"  
>"But…"<p>

"It feels like yesterday though you tell me it's been a month. When I came for you at the mall, you weren't cowering away—in fact, you seemed unafraid. I doubt one could find such a quality in a child your age. I was glad you were safe. After only knowing you for a short while, I didn't want you to die—not when I was beginning to get used to you being around and how happy you've made Jun."

It was really a lot to swallow considering that Jin hadn't even considered the fact that Kazuya might actually like—No, that was impossible. Since Jin hated his father, then it should have been the same vice versa. Wasn't that a logical assumption? Jin looked over at Kazuya again after he gathered the courage but realized that the other had fallen asleep. Jin, however, grew frantic—was he unconscious again? He poked the other once or twice before he got a response.

"Don't go to sleep. What if you…What if you…"

"Didn't I already tell you; I'm not going to die."

"But how can you be so sure?"

Kazuya sighed exasperatedly. "Just let me rest."

Jin didn't feel he had the right at the moment to demand something of the other so he simply complied. Jin watched the other for a while to make sure that he was still breathing. After a while, he was satisfied enough to do the same.

Since Jin knew that Kazuya really was recovering, he didn't feel as stressed. When Jun came and visited after sunset, Jin told her the good news. It was as if a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. The kind of relief that Jin saw in her face was practically uplifting.

The pieces were all falling into place perhaps a little too well. When the doctor came back the next morning to look him over, she gave them positive feedback. He was making such a rapid recovery that, really, waking from his coma was the best thing that could have happened. In a day or two, he would be able to leave the hospital. Obviously, the gunshot wounds had not been so serious. Miraculously, the gunshots had missed vital organs—it was as if the doctor was saying that if someone were to be shot three times, you would want the trajectory paths to be exactly like that—three entrance wounds, one exit wound. That was nothing short of a miracle. In fact, it was as if he was supposed to live.

That he was able to go home so soon was yet another miracle. Jin couldn't remember feeling quite so overjoyed at seeing a house. He couldn't even remember feeling so overjoyed seeing his own house with Jun. The situation was different, Jin supposed. He was used to his mom and he never left the house for long periods of time. He wasn't used to the Jun he was seeing now nor the Kazuya he was experiencing at that moment. He had never seemed quite so approachable as he seemed now. It was far less difficult speaking to Kazuya when Jin didn't think he was speaking in riddles and that he meant exactly what he said. It was easier that way. Extremely easy, in fact, even enjoyable. Jin knew that he was stepping into dangerous territories. There was always some small part of him that would always whisper in the back of his mind. That small voice would remind him of what his mission was and that he had been so close before all of this had happened. Because his plan had backfired on him, Jin knew that even if he did want to finish what he started, it would be difficult even impossible to succeed. Kazuya was now the victim and Jun would be hard pressed to blame a wounded man for something like negligence. Jin would have to reveal something truly evil about him if Jun was ever going to decide to break up with him. But Jin no longer had the heart to do all of that, not when Kazuya was being so pleasant and so forgiving. He never once blamed Jin for anything that had befallen him and speaking of blame, the topic was never brought up, it had just happened and there was nothing they could have done to prevent it.

Again, Jun was needed at her work and Jin found that he was spending more and more time with Kazuya. In the beginning it might have been a horrific situation, but everything seemed different. At some point, Jin found himself finally playing the game console that Kazuya had bought him. Since he had almost infinite time on his hands, he spent hours of it trying to actually play the fighting game at a decent skill level. Losing over and over to the same person who probably wasn't the best at playing videogames, was a bit nerve-wracking.

These days, Kazuya could sleep for hours on end. Jin didn't expect the other to be up until maybe a little bit after noon, but surprisingly Jin heard the shower come on slightly before then. When the water was turned off, it wasn't as if Jin heard the other coming out immediately after. Jin was fully aware of the bandages that the other still wore—it wasn't always a topic that Kazuya would want to talk about unless there was no way around it. How he was able to dress his wounds himself was a mystery in itself. He had never once asked for help—well, as far as Jin knew.

He pretended to be playing the videogame intently when he heard the other come down the hallway. It made things a little less awkward. Kazuya wouldn't be forced to go through the usual "Good morning, how has your day been" routine. Instead, they acknowledged each other with a nod to each other. Of course, Kazuya's real destination was the kitchen rather than the living room. Jin grinned to himself after a few minutes as he heard food sizzling on a cast iron pan. The thought of him cooking still seemed ridiculous in Jin's mind. It just wasn't a thing he could picture the other doing. It made sense logically if Kazuya had ever lived on his own. Since he usually complained whenever Jun would pester him about eating and then was forced to go out and eat somewhere, it made sense doubly so, but still…

Jin was all smiles by the time Kazuya came back into the living room. Jin remembered that his cooking wasn't the best, but since it wasn't actually burnt, the savory smell made up for it.

"You hungry?" Kazuya asked the other.

Jin looked up and noticed that he was holding two plates instead of one. "A little."

"Here," Kazuya said simply as he handed Jin the plate. "So you don't starve to death."

Jin had paused the game as he was passed the plate.

Kazuya took a seat on the couch. Jin had been laying on the floor on his stomach, but now he was sitting cross-legged.

"Even after playing for so long, you still suck," Kazuya commented as he noticed the state of the green bars on the screen.

"You came in at the wrong time. I had a winning streak for a while there," Jin lied.

"Of course you did," Kazuya said back in a tone that suggested that he didn't believe the other one bit. "Since I have nothing better to do today, you can just show me all this skill you have."

"You better be prepared to lose."

"Well, I'm always prepared for things like that. If you're always ready for the worst then you have nothing to worry about."

"That's stupid. I mean it's nice and all, but if you're so prepared all the time, you won't take any risks, right? Nothing you really want is ever without risk."

"And this is coming from a kid who's barely ten years old. What kind of risk is ever worth it in the end?"

"When without it, you end up accomplishing nothing. What about you and Jun?"

"What about it?"

"Well, aren't you taking a risk there?"

"That's something different altogether."

"How come?"

Kazuya sighed exasperatedly, "It's hard to explain."

Jin wondered what the other meant by this, but he didn't want to ask anything further. He sensed the other becoming slightly irritated. By this time, Jin had finished most of what was on the plate so he continued on with the game. He watched as the green bar on his side of the screen steadily decreased until he finally lost. It was just the thing that Kazuya needed to see to confirm his suspicions. Jin won one match by chance and lost a couple more.

"Can I join you?" Kazuya asked after watching a humiliating loss.

"Sure, why not?"

Kazuya came over to sit on the floor with him and took up one of the controllers. He chose the same female warrior from before at the mall much to Jin's amusement. Jin chose a character which he had grown used to and then continued to the match. Each fight was quite close, but soon it became more and more clear to Jin who was the better fighter. The only thing Jin had had over Kazuya was that he had been practicing. Kazuya's inexperience almost instantly dissipated after the first three fights. Jin found himself quickly trying to throw out combo after combo while Kazuya's character would quietly evade and attack from an angle where he was wide open. There was no way to avoid his attacks. At some point, Kazuya's health bar hardly ever changed.

"Ugh! I don't get it. You've been secretly practicing while I wasn't looking," Jin accused the other after an hour of loss after loss.

"You just need some more practice. Maybe if you weren't so predictable, it wouldn't turn out the same way every time."

"Can we do one more match?" Jin asked when he sensed the other growing bored of the whole affair.

"Fine, one more."

Jin wasn't sure what had changed, but suddenly his attacks were connecting. He couldn't believe it; Kazuya's green bar was decreasing rapidly. Jin's character was hit a few times, but it couldn't make up for the pounding Jin was dealing out. Soon he depleted the other's health bar and finally won.

"Wait a minute, that was _too _easy."

Kazuya grinned at the other. "Looks like you won."

Although Jin tried to dispute it, Kazuya never did admit the fact he had basically thrown the last match and he could not convince the other to another match.

"So what do you do in your free time?" Jin asked Kazuya.

Kazuya had already made his way back to the couch. "Well, on my free time when I happen to have any, I usually go to the gym."

_That makes sense…maybe that's why he seems so strong looking. _"I guess you can't do that right now, huh."

"I could, if I really wanted to, but these days, I don't feel like fighting anymore or training for it."

"So you weren't always a businessman?"

"It's a more recent employment. Back then, things were different. If someone told me that in the future I'd be here living some sedentary lifestyle, I would have laughed. Although… I doubt this will last long however much I want it to."

"What do you mean? You're getting a new job or something?"

"If that was the case, I'd have no worries."

_And the mystery returns…_ "Maybe…you don't have anything to worry about," Jin said as he looked to the floor, "Why can't we just stay the way we are now?"

"I wouldn't mind that at all. But it's wishful thinking to assume that nothing will change. Someone like you should understand. You have no idea what you did in your former life, but any moment could bring back your lost memory and you have no idea how that will affect you."

_God, he still thinks I have amnesia…I better just play along. _"I guess, but I don't think I have anything to worry about. If I try my hardest, I think things can still turn out good. Look where I am now. I didn't have to run across Jun at that moment and she didn't have to invite me to stay at her place. I could be all alone homeless right now."

"You really believe that, don't you? Try your hardest and everything will work out."

"Who says it isn't true? If we all try our hardest, nothing has to change, right? Isn't that what you want? I really don't see what the problem is."

"I keep forgetting that I'm just talking to a kid. Whoever raised you until now must have been an optimistic person. It's hard to believe that no one is actively searching for you."

"I don't think anyone's going to come looking for me if they haven't already."

"It's amazing how you can sound so certain. Sometimes, I don't know what to make of you."

"You're wondering if I'm lying or not?"

"No, I was only wondering how one can be certain about anything in your shoes. Blindly accepting things as they are or how you want them to be."

"You make it sound impossible to do. What else can I do anyways?"

"You have a point."

"What are you gonna' do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Since you're not going to the gym. What else are you gonna' do?"

"Don't know. You can't count on me to think of anything interesting."

"I know!" Jin said as an idea came to him.

Kazuya watched the other sprint off to his room. Jin came back to the living room with a deck of playing cards and set it on the table between him and Kazuya.

"You trying to play Crazy Eights or Spoons…?"

"No," Jin said dispelling all Kazuya's thoughts of kiddy card games, "We're gonna play Spades."

"And you really know how to play it?"

"I think so," Jin said with the proper amount of uncertainty. He kept forgetting that he was supposed to be an amnesiac.

"There's only one way to find out."

"Okay. I'll shuffle and you cut."

Jin's shuffling skills were laughable. He could tell the other was amused by the whole thing, but made no comment. He passed the deck over to Kazuya who smoothly cut the deck and gave it back to Jin who was them tasked with the job of passing out all the cards. With two people, they only had to deal with half of the deck thus making it that much harder to figure out what to bet for. Of course, Kazuya had to have the better hand. There were only 13 books in total and Kazuya had 11 of them much to Jin's astonishment. It wasn't like that the whole time, but the first hand that Jin passed out seemed completely in Kazuya's favor. For the rest of the time, sometimes Jin won more books and sometimes Kazuya did. But because of Kazuya's initial lead and the fact that Jin couldn't make all of his books twice, his score dropped.

"I would hate for you to play a real game," Kazuya commented after he had reached 500 points ending the game.

"I guess I was just a little rusty."

"That's understandable since you may or may not remember how to really play it."

"I would ask you to another game…but there's something else I wanted to ask you…"

"Well, what is it?"

"I was wondering…since you know how to fight, I was wondering if you could teach me."

"What for?"

Jin could feel his cheeks burning because he was asking something from someone he was used to. "It's important." _And this is my only chance since you have so much free time now. Also…I know Mom would want me to…If I could protect others, then…we wouldn't have to go through anything like this again._

"Listen, kid, I don't think it would be such a good idea. What would Jun think about that? She wouldn't want you to turn into some kind of killing machine."

"It's just to defend myself. I don't want to learn how to kill people."

"They're one in the same."

"No—

"What do you think you're doing when you engage in a fight with someone else? Both you and your opponent are risking the chance of death. It is nothing you'd want to do by choice."

Jin paused before he spoke once again. "She wouldn't mind."

"Are you even listening to me? If this is about what happened, there was nothing you could have done in that situation. Even if you knew how to defend yourself, there was no guarantee that you could have survived. With all that I know about fighting, I still managed to get myself injured. It was stupid what I did. All they wanted was the money. If I had just given it to them, the situation might not have turned sour."

"You can't seriously be thinking that."

"That was why…I was glad that you hadn't gotten hurt. If I was really thinking about your safety, I would have chosen a less violent road."

"You did what you could."

"I did what I wanted. That someone had had the audacity to point a gun at me and get away with it was enough to make me want to kill him. You were just an afterthought."

"I don't care."

"What?"

"I said, 'I don't care'. You saved me in the end. Who knows what that man would have done once he had the money?"

"Look at you trying to sugarcoat things."

"I'm being serious. If it had been anyone else, I might not be here now. If I had known how to fight…"

"You would've gotten yourself killed," Kazuya said shaking his head. "Idiot. You'll be the one leaping headlong into situations that you would be better off avoiding. I'm not going to teach you how to fight. I think it's better the way you are now. Besides," Kazuya said stretching his arms, "I don't feel like it anyways."

"You're just getting complacent," Jin accused.

"I should be—if I'm really supposed to believe that what I have now will not change. Well, Jun should be back in a few hours," Kazuya said as he stood up, "You won't be bored for too long if I decide to take a few hours for myself."

Taking a few hours for himself meaning resting, Jin knew as he watched the other head to the back down the hallway. Jin had too much to think about to be bored. He had thought it would be a simple task to get Kazuya to teach him how to fight. It had been on his mind all last night as the events of that day replayed over and over in his mind. Once he had gotten over the fact that Kazuya had gotten injured to a point uncomfortably close to death, he could look at the other parts of the event—the part where he had demobilized two guys at once in the blink of an eye. Despite having gotten injured, he still wound up taking down the third one as well. It had been incredible—his father was a powerful man. All that Jun had taught him didn't even come close to looking quite so appealing as what Kazuya had done for not more than a couple of minutes. He'd been uninterested about the very idea of fighting until that moment.

But Kazuya was staunchly against teaching him anything at all. Jin was hard-pressed to figure out a way to convince him otherwise. He could only think of telling Jun his situation and have her back him up. Something told him, though, that this Jun was starkly different from the one he knew in this regard.

And there was that other thing…Who was to say that he was ever going to get back to his life from before? He had to make the best of the one he was living now. How was getting Kazuya to separate from Jun going to achieve that? They seemed happy together, didn't they? Kazuya seemed especially considerate of Jun's feelings. How could a man like that break her heart anyway? Maybe the future had already changed. Maybe since he was there, they could be a big happy family. Jun was happy. Kazuya was content. And he…he felt as if he belonged. He didn't especially want to go back to a time when all of that wasn't true.

_Please…I don't want anything to change…_


	7. But it Has To

Chapter 7: But it Has To

Even Jun was against him. She just wouldn't have it. That night when she came back, Jin stopped her to ask her the same question as Kazuya. There would be no training for Jin. In fact when she first heard the idea from him, she was horrified—it was surprising to Jin to say the least. He suspected that Jun might not like it, but not to this degree. Didn't she herself know how to fight? Why had it sounded so ludicrous to her? It was as if the very notion of it was completely outlandish. Jin wondered if he was to remain defenseless for the rest of his life. He'd always have to rely on other people to save him from dangerous situations.

"But think about it, you wouldn't have to worry about me so much if you knew that I knew how to protect myself," Jin explained to a flabbergasted Jun.

"No means no. What did Kazuya say when you asked him?"

"Well…he refused just like you."

"As he should have. Out of anybody, he'd understand why what you want would only lead to trouble."

"Fine," Jin said with crossed arms.

"Now get to bed already. You always seem to be up when I get home."

"But I haven't seen you all day."

"That may be true, but growing children need their sleep," Jun said pushing the other along to his room.

Jun stood in the entrance to his room as she watched the other climb into bed.

"Are you sure you don't wannna' teach me how to fight?"

"Yes, I'm sure. There are plenty of other constructive ways to spend your time. By the way, I've found a good babysitter to look after you once Kazuya is able to go back to work."

"I really don't need a babysitter," Jin complained.

"It's just to be on the safe side. I don't feel right leaving you here all alone, alright. So be a good boy for me and don't give the babysitter too much trouble."

"I'll try."

Jun shook her head twice with a small grin, "Good night, Jin."

Then she closed the door to a crack before she left for the other room. Jin stared for a while at the door before dropping off. The idea of a babysitter didn't sound very fun in the least.

/

Kazuya's downtime didn't last for much longer. Two days later he went back to work despite not being fully healed. Jun may not have liked this fact much, but there was hardly anything she could have done for it. His job was so lacking in physical activity that after a while, Jun stopped worrying so much over it. Of course, with this development came Jin's first experience with a babysitter.

Her name was Suzuki—a very perky, almost too perky, individual. She had tons of games that she wanted to play with Jin and he would be forced to sit through an entire day of childish pursuits. She was hard to stomach. It got to a point that Jin would mostly never get out of bed when she was around. He'd pretend like he was asleep and she would leave him alone. Jin had more or less given Jun his word that he would be a good boy for better or worse he had to uphold it. If he was into pranking people, however, Suzuki would have been the perfect candidate for his antics. Luckily, he wasn't and Jin would suffice imagining the many ways he could get back at her.

Could dealing with Suzuki possibly be better than having to sit through an entire day in Kazuya's office? Jin found that answer harder and hard to answer every passing day. He never told Jun about how annoying the babysitter was. It seemed too petty to mention. Besides, if he could stay out of trouble, it would be less stress for both Jun and Kazuya.

"Oh, Jiiiiin!" Suzuki called out in a loud cheery voice, "This is the last day you're going to hide from me. Now come on out. Let's play hide-n-seek!"

Jin hadn't known what hide-n-seek was prior to meeting Suzuki, but after spending hours just to find one person, he knew that he hated it. Suzuki was a good hider, Jin was a sucky seeker. He pulled the covers over his head and sighed solemnly. When he heard her come to the doorway, he pretended to be asleep.

"Unbelievable! I've never seen such a lazy kid! Don't you want some breakfast? I'll make you some good breakfast."

There was no response from Jin.

"Forget about breakfast, then. I'll take you to the park again. Don't you want to go somewhere?"

There was still no response.

"I have some candy," Suzuki said in what she felt was an enticing voice, "Dark chocolate, nutty chocolate, caramel, everything!"

Jin remained very still.

"I give up. What do you want, then? You can't stay in here all day, okay."

Hearing her become desperate, Jin finally poked his head from under the cover. "Just leave me alone. You're annoying."

A look of horror sprung to her face so quickly that he almost regretted what he said.

"R-really? I'm sorry. Really I am. I'll try to be better. I promise."

Jin looked away when she said this, "I'm the one who should be sorry. You're really not so bad." He watched as her face brightened instantly, "You said you'd make me breakfast?"

"Oh, yeah, of course," Suzuki said cheerfully, "Better be in the dining room in twenty minutes."

It was the beginning of many compromises. He'd participate in _some_ of her games if she'd agree to play some videogames with him. If they were ever going to play hide-n-seek, he'd be the hider every time; he really had no patience for looking for her. It all turned out fine in the end. Not that Jin was looking forward to seeing her on a daily basis, but it wasn't a complete nightmare.

If only he could see more of Jun and Kazuya. They only ever did something together on the weekend. Those were the days that Jin would be waiting for every week. But as of late, things were not all perfect in paradise. Maybe it was because they didn't hang out much anymore, but the progress he thought he had made with Kazuya was fading. The aloofness from before seemed to reappear. Jun was just as high-spirited as usual and got along fine with Kazuya and him, but when it came to Kazuya and Jin it seemed as if they had nothing to say to one another. What had happened? Or a better question, what was happening? Was he just seeing things or was there really something different about him? The more he let it pass, the more he began to question the change until he gathered up enough courage to ask Jun about it. He waited up for her as he usually did on the weekdays.

"Still up I see," Jun said to Jin as she came in from work. "Keep this up and you'll start having dark rings under your eyes and that's not very attractive."

"Sorry, but I haven't seen you all day."

"You always say that and you know what I always say back?"

"Yeah, I know. But there's something I want to ask you."

"If it's about fighting—

"No, it isn't. I'm over that. It's Kazuya. Do you think he's acting…differently?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ah, nevermind. It was nothing."

"I think I know what you're talking about," Jun said with a sigh, "And I really don't have an answer. But I tell you what, when I can, I'll be sure to tell you, alright?"

"Okay."

"Now get to bed. I feel like a broken record."

That was all that Jin was given about the situation. She never did come to him with the answer, but Jin sensed that she must have asked. There was tension between them where there shouldn't have been. On the very next weekend, Jin noticed this. There was less talking, less laughter, less eye contact. In fact, one could say that there was more conversation between Jun and Jin than anything else.

"There's this amusement park I've been meaning to visit," Jun said a loud to break the silence, "It's famous for having the biggest, and fastest ride ever. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"It sounds like you want to go," Kazuya answered after a short span of silence.

"Sounds like?" Jun said as if it had been painfully obvious that she wanted to go. "Jin, what about you? Don't you want to go?"

"What's an amusement park?" Jin said back.

"You guys are impossible."

"I don't even feel like going," Kazuya said.

"Well, you never feel like going anywhere unless I drag you," Jun proclaimed, "You never suggest things and you always complain whenever I do. You're completely useless."

"No one's stopping you," Kazuya replied, "You have the wheel so you can go wherever you like."

"Sure I can, but do you _want_ to go."

"I don't care."

"Why am I not surprised? What do you care about anyways? A few nights ago, I asked you something and you couldn't even give me a proper answer—you didn't care to. Are you intentionally being obscure?"

Obviously Jun wanted an answer to this, but Kazuya never did. The silence was so heavy that Jin thought he might have suffocated in it. He dared not speak.

"Is there something that's bothering you?" Jun asked looking towards the other for a moment longer than usual.

"Why don't you keep your eyes on the road," Kazuya responded as he noticed the car drifting to another lane.

Jun quickly swerved back and Jin held his breath in fear. Perhaps this wasn't the best time to be arguing even if it was on Jin's behalf.

"Well? How 'bout it? I don't know how long I can stand this."

"Jun, I have no idea what you're talking about. So what kind of answer could I have for you?"

"Are you serious? Are you really going to play dumb?"

"How long are you going to carry on like this?"

"You can't answer a question with a question."

"Well then, I guess we're just going around in a circle, aren't we?"

"I can't do this," Jun said with a huff.

Jin held on to the door as the car swerved again, but this time to the side of the street. Since they were on a highway, the car moved onto the gravel out of the way of the other cars.

"If I keep driving like this, I swear I'll get us all in an accident. Since you're so calm, cool, and collective, take the wheel."

Kazuya simply acquiesced and they switched seats.

"I guess it'd be stupid to ask where we should go since you have absolutely no imagination just take me back home."

"Are you sure?" Kazuya asked with the first hint of real emotion since they had gotten into the car.

"I just want to go home. You've ruined the mood," Jun said in a pouty voice.

"If you insist," Kazuya said as he turned on the engine once again.

"Ugh!—You were supposed to say something like"—Jun then attempted to do his voice—" 'No, Jun, I don't want you go!' or 'Please stay—I'll do whatever I can to make you happy!'"

"You really think I would say that?"

"If you're desperate enough…"

"Hmph."

Before Jin knew it, they were headed back home, back to Jun's home. Jin couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. He felt partially responsible for everything, but he remained closed-mouthed. Jin thought that they were going back to Kazuya's place, but instead they were going to Jun's apartment. He hadn't seen it in a while and it had caught him by surprise.

The moment which she got out of the car seemed surreal. She had been visiting and even staying at Kazuya's place so often that she practically lived there. That she still had her own place surprised him.

"I guess I'll…see you later," Jun said as she closed the door.

Jin thought she might slam the door, but all she did was close it as gently as she could.

"Wait," Jin said suddenly, "Can I stay with you?"

Jun turned to him with a surprised look, "Sure, that's fine with me. Um, Kazuya—any objections?"

"The kid can stay where he wants," he replied though he never turned to look at them.

"Alright, then. All I have is a couch for you, though. If you want, I can let you have my bed."

"No, no, that's okay. The couch is fine," Jin said quickly.

Jin could never imagine Jun sleeping on something as subpar as the couch. He stepped out of the car as well when all was said and done. He just couldn't stop himself. For some reason, he couldn't just let Jun walk away on her own. It was really too late to turn back after he shut the door. He watched with despondent eyes as the familiar dark blue Corvette rode off into the distance.

_ How did it get to this? Why does it feel like we're falling apart…?_

"You didn't have to do that you know," Jun said to Jin startling him out of his thoughts.

"I didn't do anything really," Jin said turning to her. "I just wanted to keep you company."

"Well, alright. Maybe we can still salvage this night."

/

Kazuya was absent from their lives for days on end. Jin could never be sure if Jun ever visited him and Jun never once suggested that he go back to stay with Kazuya who had the better house. It was strange to say the least.

The only normalcy he experienced for a time was Suzuki. He still needed to be babysat. Even Suzuki couldn't overlook the mood change in Jin. Despite the progress they had made, Jin would often ignore her and pretend as if he was either asleep or hard of hearing. There was nothing that Suzuki could say or do to change this. She would even cry and still she received no response.

"Alright, Jin, I give up. It's like we've gotten nowhere since I first became your babysitter. Let me at least make you something to eat."

"If you want to," Jin said finally. He turned to the desperate looking Suzuki. "If it'll make you feel better."

"Alright," Suzuki said cheerfully. "Be back in twenty minutes."

Food was just about the only thing that might get any response from Jin. At least she knew that he still had an appetite. Whenever she made him food, he would eat all of it without question.

"Doesn't your mom make you food?" Suzuki asked as he finished the plate.

"She's not my mom," Jin said quickly.

"Oh, sorry. I guess things are a little complicated, huh. But you guys really look like a family."

"When you say 'you guys', who do you mean?" Jin asked.

"You and Jun of course."

"Just us two?"

"Is there someone else?"

"It's not important. I just wanted to know."

"Well, do you feel up to a few games. I mean, just _one_ game," Suzuki said when she saw the look on his face. "C'mon, it's not good to be so idle."

"Go play by yourself. I don't want to."

"I've met kids like you," Suzuki said thoughtfully, "They always wound up being loners for the rest of their lives. They never want to play with anyone and no one could convince them otherwise."

"And this is all from not playing hopscotch or jump rope with you? I doubt it."

"Alright, I get it; you're not having such a good day or days. You wanna talk about it to me? Sometimes it's good to get an outside opinion."

"I don't think I can talk about it. It's too personal."

"You're just a kid. What could possibly be happening that I wouldn't understand?"

"I am just a kid. A lot of things are just…out of my control. Here I was thinking that I could change things, but really…nothing has changed."

"You just have to let things run their course. If you know there's nothing you can do about it, then there's no point in worrying about it, right?"

"I wish it were that easy…but I guess it's just in my nature."

"Look at you; you sound like an old man. Chin up."

Jin laid back on the couch. "I'll think I'll just go back to ignoring you."

Suzuki never did get much out of him after this. She finally gave up and sat down on the couch beside him. For the rest of the time, they did absolutely nothing. Jin was only glad that her time was up. He would usually be alone for only a few minutes before Jun came back in, but this time an entire hour went by. When she finally got back, she seemed a bit flustered.

"Everything alright?" Jin asked upon seeing her

"Could you do me a really big favor?"

"Sure, anything."

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that—anyways, you know I have work tomorrow so I can't really keep an eye out for Kazuya—

"Wait, Kazuya can look out for himself."

"I'm sure he can under normal circumstances—

"Is he hurt?"

"Not exactly. I'll tell you on the ride there. Just promise you'll stay there for a while. I know this is a lot to ask and you know how I hate asking people to do things they don't want to do—

"I get it," Jin said interrupting her, "Don't worry, I really don't mind."

_If there really is something I can do, then I'll do it…_


	8. Falling Apart Part 1

Chapter 8: Falling Apart (Part 1)

When Jin stepped into Kazuya's house along with Jun, he finally understood what was wrong with him. He was completely passed out on the couch.

"I found him like that on the floor when I came to check up on him. I just…wanted to know how he was doing. All I did was drag him over there. But I smelled his breath; it's obvious what's happened. That's why I need you to stay here Jin so you can keep an eye out for him."

"I'm just a kid; I can't stop him from doing things."

"Your presence is enough. Besides, I've seen him like this before, you have nothing to worry about—he's completely harmless, and almost completely incoherent so don't pay attention to anything he says, okay? Just make sure he doesn't do anything silly and get himself hurt."

"I'll do what I can."

"I'm really sorry to put all of this on you," Jun said with a sigh. "I know you're scared. If it becomes too much for you, just call me. I'll come right over no matter what."

"You don't have to worry about me—I'll be okay."

"It's alright to be afraid, you know. Now, let's just stay here for tonight. I'm sure nothing big will happen, but still…"

The night was extremely uneventful. Besides the fact that Jin found himself wrapped up in Jun's arms as they fell asleep that night, nothing special occurred. In fact, by the next morning, whatever initial fears Jin had was completely alleviated. Kazuya hadn't even so much as moved from his current position. Even after Jun left for work, it all seemed the same. He heard movement from the couch after a while and Jin was quickly alerted.

"Um…Kazuya?" Jin asked. _Maybe I should say something more…urgent. _"Aren't you going to be late for work?"

Jin waited for the other to answer and to his surprise, he did.

"It doesn't matter," Kazuya said slowly, "I'm the CEO—I'll do what I want. Besides, such a position…is too much power."

"Too much power?" Jin asked in a confused manner.

"Sometimes…I wish everything could stay as it is. When I close my eyes, if I dream hard enough, sometimes I can see a future painted in gold, but when I come back to reality…that glittering gold turns into a cold and lasting darkness."

_I don't understand…but I guess it figures…maybe he's still a little intoxicated…_

"Was it fate that Jun found you on that day?" Kazuya continued, "...I don't fully understand everything, but I do know that I don't mind having you around, I don't mind Jun…It's almost as if we're…"

Jin sat on the carpet then as the other continued to ramble.

"Today I've just woken from that dream and no matter how hard I try, it will never be reality."

Jin watched as the other slowly, but surely began to sit up on the couch; he held his forehead gingerly with the soft part of his palm. Because of the dimness of the room, there was no way to tell where he was looking exactly. However, despite this, he felt Kazuya's gaze on him. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine. He didn't understand why, but suddenly the air had gone cold.

"Jin, so you're here."

_Shouldn't he already know that?_ Jin thought incredulously.

"What are you doing here?"

"Jun told me to keep an eye on you, that you were harmless even drunk and that you just needed to sleep it off."

"Hm, that naïve woman—she thinks I'm harmless…"

"Do you know something that she doesn't?"

"I know of my curse—one of my own making. I'm far from harmless."

"Kazuya," _This is my chance!_ "Are you going to hurt Jun?"

The silence that ensued was so long that eventually Jin realized that the other must have dropped off once again. The other's breathing had slowed to a point that Jin knew it must have been so.

"Jun…," Kazuya mumbled under his breath, "…like a daisy that will soon be uprooted…and left to wither and die…"

"What does that even mean? This is no time to be vague," Jin said as frustration began to color his tone. "Kazuya?"

Jin sat there for what felt like an eternity, but the other never responded back. The only thing he could do was wait. It wasn't like Kazuya could do anything too drastic in such a state. Jun was safe out there wherever she was as long as Kazuya was nowhere near. Long hours passed before he heard any movement from the other at which time Kazuya seemed as if he hadn't known the other was even there. Jin felt like he was just going around in an annoying, monotonous circle.

"Yes, for the last time, _I'm _Jin, and you already know that I'm here, you flaming idiot—Now, I have something important—

"What did you call me?"

Jin was taken aback when he heard the other's raised voice, but he decided to hold his ground. "I called you an idiot." What exactly could a drunken fool do to him anyway?

"You brat, who taught you manners? I brought you into my home and _this_ is how you repay me?"

"Oh, shut-up like you don't deserve it. Besides, if you weren't trying to impress Mom, then you wouldn't have done it anyway." Jin didn't understand the silence afterwards as he waited for an immediate comeback, but something crossed his mind as hard as a lightning strike touching ground. _Crap…that was a slip-up—I spoke too soon!_

"Hey, say something, would you?" Jin asked.

"What did you say?"

"What?"

"I said, what did you say _before_?" he asked again shakily.

"Jun."

"Liar."

_Great, so he chooses this time to become lucid. _"How would you know? You're probably just hearing things."

"It all makes sense now! You're her son from the future who somehow time traveled to the past in order to disrupt her relationship with me!"

_That…sounds so farfetched now that I hear it out loud! How would anyone draw that conclusion from just one slip-up? _"That's not…"

"Ha! Who's the idiot now, amnesia kid? You'd believe _anything_ someone told you on a whim. You should see your face."

It was then that Jin let out a sigh of relief. He was still safe. _But still, to jump that kind of conclusion…I have to be more careful._

"I have someplace I should be…I have to tell Jun something."

"No way! I'm not gonna' let you use the car. At this point, even I can drive better than you."  
>"Don't compare my skills to yours. I'm going and you can't stop me."<p>

When he stood, he might have fallen straight on his face had he not caught himself.

"You're wrong! I can stop you!" Jin said as he gathered his courage.

Kazuya glanced over at the other in a confused manner just as he was tackled to the ground.

"You can't stop me!" Kazuya declared defiantly.

Jin leaped out of the way when Kazuya who was still on the ground tried to kick him. Jin immediately positioned himself in front of Kazuya who was currently failing miserably at climbing back to his feet.

"You have to get through me first," Jin announced.

"Get out of my way," Kazuya growled at the other.

Kazuya had managed to climb to one knee and now was at a height similar to Jin's. Jin was unprepared for when the other managed to grasp his entire face and shove him away a good distance, but this stunt forced Kazuya off balance and he was flat on his stomach once again. Jin easily recovered from the attack—it wasn't as if falling on a carpet as soft as this would really affect him. Jin thought of a clever way to get the advantage. Instead of standing in front of Kazuya, he bent down and clamped on to his legs so that it'd be impossible for the other to attempt standing up again.

"You brat!" Kazuya exclaimed.

Kazuya commenced to attempting to push the other off again. It seemed impossible. Despite everything, Jin found himself trying to hold back laughter. Kazuya eventually rolled over so that he could use his hands to try to peel the other off. The harder he tried, the tighter Jin's grip became.

"Fine!" Kazuya spat at the other.

Jin felt himself being flipped over again. To his amazement, Kazuya had begun to crawl towards the front door using only his arms. It was then that Jin positioned himself differently. Instead of lying on the floor and grabbing his legs with his entire body, he stood up while still holding Kazuya's legs with his arms. He had good enough footing on the carpet and could better pull against Kazuya's crawling attempts. This was all becoming quite ridiculous.

"Get off me, you brat!"

Jin couldn't hold back his laughter any longer.

"This isn't funny!" Kazuya cried out, "I'm just trying to get to that damn car! Why is it so impossible?"

At some point, Jin's grip gave out and Kazuya took that moment to scramble to his feet only to trip over himself and make another crash landing with the floor. Jin was back on him in a second.

"I can do this all day!" Jin said loudly to the other.

Obviously, Kazuya could not "do this all day" as his struggling became weaker and weaker until he stopped altogether. Jin let out a sigh of relief. His grip loosened and he relaxed on the carpet to regain some feeling in his now numb arms. _That man is crazy._ Barely an hour passed and Jin had to do it all over again.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Jin called out.

"Car…car, come to me…"

"It's not gonna' come," Jin said in hopes of dashing the other's persistence.

Every other hour, Jin found himself in a tussle with Kazuya. When Kazuya ever managed to climb to his feet, Jin would tackle him down once again. Actually, it was kind of fun in Jin's eyes. Jin could never play such games with his mother since she was a woman and it would be unseemly. He also didn't have any siblings so things as random as this would never occur in his normal life. But here he was tackling, rolling, falling constantly all over the living room floor. They wound up sprawled on the floor after many hours came and went. Kazuya had simply passed out again, laid out on his back and Jin who was exhausted stayed there as well just in case the other tried anything. Kazuya was now snoring so steadily that Jin doubted that anything more would happen that night. For a while, Jin stared up at the darkening ceiling as his breathing came back to normal. It wouldn't seem right falling asleep on the floor like this, but it was rather tempting. He thought of his room—cold and empty with nothing in it to say that it was his. Jin hated to admit it, but his presence near Kazuya was far more comforting than that room.

"Make no mistake, I still kind of hate you," Jin said as he began to crawl closer to the other, "And your breath smells like alcohol."

But he didn't want to be alone that night. He didn't feel like feeding his mind with reasons why he should hate one person. He wanted to imagine for once that he was part of a family, one that loved him. He wanted to believe that he had the coolest father in the world who loved him deeply. Perhaps this night, he could believe in that dream. Jin silently crawled under the other's arm and fell happily asleep in his father's warmth.

/

"Ow, my head," Jin heard Kazuya groan the very next morning.

Jin glanced over at him and realized that he had at some point turned to his side. Judging from where his arms were positioned, he must have been using his hands to hold his head.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it'll go away," Jin said before he could catch himself. _What am I doing…? He's still…my enemy, I guess._

"It is of my own doing," he said solemnly, "I do things rashly without ever thinking of the consequences."

"That doesn't sound like you at all," Jin said truthfully.

Jin meant it. This was the same calculative guy who instead of acting upon his initial distrust of him, waited to gather more information, before making a final decision. This was the same guy who never did anything without thinking of how Jun would react—at least so far minus this incident.

"How would you know? Having only met me for a few days at best. You trying to comfort me…that is very unlike you."

"Who's making assumptions now? You've only just met me too."

"But it's different, kid. I can read you like an open book. I knew immediately that you didn't like me at all, that there was something that you took offense to, but I could never figure out what or why. Was it something that I had already done or was it something you foresaw me doing? I'm almost certain that it's the latter. Maybe you already saw a man who would bring ruin to all those around him. If that's so, then you have a right to hate me."

It was just as Jin had suspected, Kazuya knew basically everything. He had given away too much. Jin turned his head to the direction opposite of Kazuya.

"Don't think I didn't already try to separate myself from her in the past, but the more I try to push her away the harder she clings, the less resolve I have to do so. You, a mere boy, could not have convinced her of anything. She's quite stubborn."

When Kazuya sat up, Jin realized that there were covers on them. Apparently, it was the same for Kazuya who looked at them confusedly.

"When did these get here?" Kazuya asked. Then he looked to Jin who shrugged. "Jun must have been here last night. She's probably at work now."

"So you're missing another day of work?" Jin questioned.

"It shouldn't be a problem really. When my grandfather still owned the company, instead of keeping all the natural power of being a CEO for himself, he decentralized it. That way, even if the CEO were not there, the company could still operate for a time on its own."

Jin looked at the other with a raised eyebrow. Most of it had flown right over his head.

"In other words," Kazuya said noticing the other's confusion, "I don't absolutely need to be there."

"You're…still trying to see Jun, aren't you?"

"Why bother her?" Kazuya asked as he took the covers off of himself, "I'm going to take a shower."

Jin watched as the other stood up. His balance was still off, but at least he was able to walk. It didn't take long for Jin to hear the sounds of rushing water. He pulled the covers closer. _So Jun had been here? I missed my chance…I could have talked to her in private that time if I had just woken up. _His stomach growled, but there was nothing he could do for it. Having checked the kitchen already, he knew that it was bare, similar to all the other rooms in this place. There wasn't much color around the house even after their mall trip. Everything seemed muted and devoid of any personality despite the few decorations. Kazuya's room had consisted of a bed and a dresser. For a man who probably had a lot of money, his home was pretty sparsely furnished. Either he was being thrifty or didn't care enough to buy extra things for his home.

When the water shut off and Jin didn't see the other come back out to the living room, he knew that he must have went to his room. With a sigh, Jin crawled from under the blanket and folded it up. It was like being snatched away from a waking dream. Kazuya was the only father he was ever going to have and this whole time he had labored to rid Jun of him. Now he felt the weight of the impossibility. Their fates seemed too intertwined. What would have happened if he had succeeded? Jun would have been hurt either way. Maybe how things turned out was the best possible way. Jin shook his head. He couldn't start thinking like that. He had to do _something_.

For now though, he was still hungry. He trudged over to Kazuya's room to find that he was in his own bed once again. Jin wasn't an expert on hangovers and drunkenness, but was it really supposed to last so long? Was two days normal?

"Kazuya…" Jin said cautiously as he approached the other who still held his head while turned on his side, "Aren't you hungry or something?"

His eyes seemed so unfocused that Jin thought that perhaps this was a bad time. He began to step back.

"You still have those fifty dollars I gave you. Use that if you're starving."

"But I don't know where to go."

"You really want me to drive you somewhere?"

"Umm…no, I guess not."

Kazuya sighed exasperatedly, "Can you use a phone?"  
>"I guess."<p>

"There's a phonebook. Look through it and find some place that will deliver. There should be a sheet of paper in the front of the phonebook, with the home address—that's all you need to make an order."

"But I've never made an order before."

"Then let this be your first time."

"But I don't know how to use a phonebook."

"You're killing me."

"What?"

"I'm literally dying inside."

"Are you alright?"

"No, now go get that phonebook! _I'll _order something," Kazuya growled.

Jin leaped right into action when he sensed that the other was losing patience. He came back in no time with the things that he had wanted. Kazuya seemed to know where to turn without even looking in the table of contents, at least that's what it seemed like in Jin's eyes. Of course, the book was in alphabetical order and one could guestimate which page they should turn to on just that information. The phonebook was a book of telephone numbers Jin realized. It donned on him that it probably would not have been so hard to find a number and order something that way. Jin found it comical the way Kazuya spoke on the phone. Jin knew the other to be peeved, but he talked as if he was in the best of moods when he spoke to the folks on the other end. He spoke so clearly that even a partially deaf person could have understood what he was saying.

"What are you smiling at?" Kazuya said as he ended the call.

"You sound weird on the phone."

"Well, if they get the order wrong, you know they have to be utter idiots. Go wait out in the living room for them. They said it'll take fifteen minutes…but it's really thirty."

"What happens when they come?"

"I would say use your money, but here," Kazuya said as he went into his top dresser drawer and pulled out some more cash, just enough to foot the bill, "Just give it to the delivery guy, take the food and it's over. Got it?"

"Okay."

"Don't bother me anymore," Kazuya said wearily as he returned to his position on the bed.

"You know, I bet if you actually ate something, you'd feel a lot better," Jin said despite himself, but Kazuya seemed so much in pain.

"Whatever. You're beginning to sound like Jun. Get out of here already and close the door on your way out."

Jin did as he was told and scrambled out of the room. He waited in the living room patiently and after exactly thirty minutes, the pizza man came, Jin gave him the money, and finally took in the food. There really was nothing to it. Because he was so hungry, it made the teriyaki pizza smell that much more tantalizing. He thought of Kazuya as he finished his first slice, then the second slice, and a third slice. Surely, Kazuya _was_ hungry. Jun had charged him with looking after him and making sure he didn't do anything stupid. Wasn't starving to death considered stupid? When he could take it no longer, Jin took up three slices and placed it on a plate. Now for the hard part. He took a deep breath as he stood in front of the closed door. _It's either now or never_. Jin twisted the doorknob and the door opened. The temperature dropped suddenly when he stepped in yet there was no fan or anything—why was it so cold? His hands, no, his entire body shivered as he crept over to the dresser. Kazuya was so completely under his covers the he could no longer see his condition. It was pretty cold in there. It seemed sensible to take refuge in a warm place. Maybe the thermostat was broken in the room. Maybe the vents just weren't working correctly here.

"Hey, Kazuya, I brought you some food. I know you said you weren't hungry, but you have to be." He placed the plate on top of the dresser.

"I thought I told you to stop bothering me," Kazuya said from under the covers. "You shouldn't be here. Just go to the living room or something."

"Why is it so cold in here?"

"I don't know," Kazuya snapped, "I can't explain anything."

"You could catch a cold staying in here. You have other rooms you know."

"I know you mean well, but when I tell you to leave, you should leave."

"O-okay," Jin was shivering uncontrollably.

Jin finally backed off and once again scrambled out of the room. There was nothing he could do and he didn't understand what was happening. Jun would come later on today, Kazuya knew. Maybe she knew something that could help him.

Jin waited alone in the living room for hours. He hadn't felt like turning on the television or even thinking of some way to advance his plans. He was only worried. He told himself that there was no way that he could like such a man. But still…It was quiet. A little too quiet for Jin's liking, but the darkness was comforting. No one had bothered to open the blinds and so the sun's rays were kept at bay. Good. Sometimes the brightness could be too much for him. He looked up suddenly when he heard the front door being opened and then as it was closed.

"Is anyone up?" Jun's voice called out.

He heard Jun's footsteps walk into the living room before long.

"Jin? What are you doing all alone in the dark?"

When he didn't answer immediately, she walked over to the couch that he was sitting on and sat down beside him.

"It's Kazuya, isn't it? Did you guys get into a fuss or something?"

"No, it's not that. I think there's something wrong…He's been in his room all day."

"What? Tell me, did he eat anything?"

"I don't know. He ordered something for me, I gave him some of it, but I don't know if he ate it." Jin looked over at Jun when he realized that she had grown very quiet. "Jun?"

"Jin, just stay here," Jun said as she stood up. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine."

Jin watched the other disappear into the hallway. No doubt she was going to Kazuya's room. He didn't know what was happening, but he felt that he shouldn't get involved.

It was no longer quiet, though. He could hear their voices if he listened hard enough, but he felt like he was intruding on something. Jin covered his ears and closed his eyes. He didn't know how long he stayed like that. An eternity must have passed before someone roused him. It was Jun. What day was it? How much time had passed? Jin found that he no longer cared.

"Jin, would you like to hear a story?"

"No…I…," he paused when he finally looked up at Jun. She seemed to be on the verge of tears, "What happened? What did he do to you?"

"Please, listen to my story."

"A-alright."

Jun sat down next to him once again. "There was once a demon known simply as Devil who roamed the Earth freely, always searching for a human, a vehicle, if you will, who could help it reach its goal. Without a human host, the demon could not touch Earth, but disguised as a human, Devil could wreak havoc to his heart's content. Wherever Devil went, it left a path of destruction. It chose human after human unsatisfied with the results. All Devil had achieved were petty crimes and minor disruption, but nothing that was even close to its one true dream. One day, Devil came upon a boy who was on the verge of dying in a ravine. Devil watched from a distance, as the boy slowly bled to death. The child had been left with a gash so deep that even his ribs and heart lay exposed. Devil decided then that this would be his vessel; this would be the vessel that would eventually take him to his goal. The demon presented the boy with two choices—life or death. Of course, the boy chose life and the demon gave it to him. Life came with a price. The boy had inadvertently laid a curse upon the rest of his life—he had sold his soul to Devil. Every day Devil clawed at his sanity and relentlessly strove to drag his entire mind into darkness where he could then be controlled. But the boy had a strong will. He bore such a deep and lasting hatred towards his father who had left him to die in that ravine that Devil was powerless against it. Instead of fighting against it, Devil decided that he would help this child achieve his dream, but after that the demon would again begin progress towards its goal. Devil made the child stronger and stronger, knowing that eventually, it would benefit from his strength. The child's hate became so strong that it was unnatural. Had his father ever wanted to apologize, it would not have changed a thing. The boy grew into a man and by then, his mind was quite one track."

"A tournament was called and at the same time Kazuya was presented with the perfect opportunity to obtain the only thing he ever wanted out of life—his father's utter defeat. It was no contest. When his father lay motionless at his feet, it was the first time he could ever remember feeling joy. The boy, now a man, tossed his father down the very same ravine he had been forced to suffer through. It was perhaps the greatest moment of his life. But after such joy there was utter emptiness. Just like that, his reason for living had vanished. The resolve that he was so used to having was gone. To Devil, the man's fiery will to destroy his father was ephemeral at best. All it needed to do was wait. It pounced at the moment its host was at his weakest, when he was uncertain with what should happen next in his life. Devil supposed that this was it, this was the moment that it had been waiting for, but yet another obstacle stood in his way. A woman."

"He told me 'Had you not been there, I would have been lost. You gave me something that can never be repaid. Despite that, all I have ever done for you was made you worry and given you undue stress.' And I tried to correct his reasoning. I tried to reassure him that he was never a burden to me, that I would do anything for him. That if there was something that I could do, then I would do it. I've been such a good influence up until now—why couldn't things continue to be as they were. Then he told me, 'There's nothing that you can do, you've done enough already. Really, I'm just being selfish.' I asked him to explain himself, but when he tried, I couldn't understand it. If someone needs help, then it's alright for that person to ask for it. How can I get him to see that? You understand what I'm saying, don't you, Jin?"

It took Jin a moment to realize that Jun was looking at him waiting for an answer. He simply nodded to her.

"I know that he doesn't want me to get involved, but—I'm sorry, I guess this is all a lot to swallow. You're too young to really understand what I'm talking about. Look at me, I'm so pathetic, I should have some girlfriends right now who I've known since high school and call them up, right?"

"It's alright," Jin finally said, "I know you don't have anyone else to talk to."

"Well, it's getting late, Jin. You should go to bed. I know it's been another tough day for you. Um, I wanted to ask you, if you've gotten any of your memories back."

"No, not really."

"Nothing at all?"

Jin looked away from her.

"It's not that I'm trying to kick you out or anything, but Kazuya was right—as much as I want children, we'd make horrible parents. I'm at work all the time and so is he. And, well, you saw what happened today. I don't want to put you through that every day. You've hardly had any fun, right?"

"You're wrong. I have had fun. I've learned...nothing is ever perfect. We just have to make the best of what we already have." Before he knew it, he was using the word 'we' as if they had always been together.

"I'm really glad you feel that way. But you don't have to lie for my sake."

"I'm not lying."

"You really do like it here, huh. I never thought I'd find someone crazy enough to say it." She smiled gently. "I don't have any friends, but I used to. It's as if as soon as I got into a relationship with Kazuya—the life that I knew before vanished. The people who I was associated with started to keep their distance. Even my own family. It was as if the whole world was telling me that this was a bad idea. But here I am even at the risk of being isolated forever. Then you come out of nowhere and you accept everything the way it is without complaint, you accepted Kazuya and that's a very hard thing to do. If it's true that you really can't remember anything of your past, I would be honored to adopt you."

Jin was utterly surprised for two reasons: for one, this was his mother asking to adopt him and secondly, he never imagined being offered that. He hadn't known until that moment that some small part of him still believed that this was all a dream and that at some unknown point he would return to the real world. But it had been so long now—would it be alright to think that he would never go back? Did he even _want_ to go back?

"It's a lot to swallow, isn't it? I wanted to tell you that for a while, but I didn't know when to say it. I asked Kazuya about it and he supported my decision."

"He did?"

"Of course he did. He likes you."

"He does?"

"When someone takes a bullet for you, it's hard to not notice."

"What do you mean? We didn't even know there was a third person."

"Well, he told me not to tell you this, but he knew there was a third person keeping an eye out on the two others that you saw. That's what he told the police. While he was being escorted to the deserted part of the mall, the man holding the gun to him slipped up and told him about it—apparently, this guy was a complete novice when it came to keeping his mouth shut. The novice had intended to intimidate him into being compliant. No matter what, they were going to get the money and they would make sure that you and Kazuya would not be a liability."

"I…didn't know."

"You weren't supposed to. Maybe I shouldn't have told you, but sometimes it can be hard to tell what Kazuya likes or doesn't like. I guess the longer you stay here, the better you'll get at it. Whatever is happening now—I'm sure it'll pass. It's not just me anymore—it's you too. When someone is in trouble, we help them."

"So how do we do that?"  
>"I don't know yet. But I'll come up with something."<p>

"_We'll _come up with something."

"That's right," Jun said with a nod, "Let's just sleep on it for now."

The two of them retired to their beds. Jun, of course, shared a room with Kazuya. Jin could only imagine what that must have been like. Out of both of them, if anyone could fix things, she could. She could get him to do things even admit things when he normally wouldn't. It was quite impressive in Jin's eyes. The story that Jun had told him was too much to even believe. Maybe she had been talking figuratively. Maybe this Devil wasn't a real being. Maybe it was just some other side of Kazuya that was too frightening to discuss any other way. What was it he could do about it anyway? He wondered even if there was a solution. He spent the rest of the night mulling over and over the story. He wished there was something convenient that might have been mentioned there, but there was nothing. Nothing popped out at him. He wasn't sure when he fell asleep and dreams was a thing of the past—not when he hadn't given up. No matter what, he didn't want to give up.


	9. Falling Apart Part 2

AN: I've been trying to keep this in Jin's point of view, but at this point, Kazuya's point of view will better explain what's happening instead of Jin just assuming things.

By the way, for this chapter: _italics_ = Kazuya's thoughts

Chapter 9: Falling Apart (Part 2)

His head was throbbing so much that he hardly felt like discussing anything. How ironic that they all wanted him to talk all at once. He couldn't even remember when he had last spoken so much at one time. Jun could be very persuasive. If it was anyone, it would be her. He was sure that she had left the room only to repeat all that he said to Jin. Not that he was bothered with that fact—it was less for him to do. Now she simply laid beside him with uncanny silence. Perhaps she could sense that he no longer wanted to talk. She could not have been asleep—Kazuya could always tell when that was case. She was watching him, he knew, but he had turned from her just in case she felt the urge to ask other annoying questions.

Kazuya knew the cold, hard truth. There was nothing that either of them could do for him. Why he had felt the need to saddle them with an unsolvable problem was beyond him. He couldn't have just kept his mouth shut about the whole thing. What were the chances that anyone would believe him? What were the chances that anyone would think him a sane person?

The pain continued to hammer away. It wouldn't be long now. There was no way he could ignore his past choices any longer. There was no way he could continue to deny the person he was supposed to be—the person that Devil wanted him to be. It was better to just welcome it rather than try to resist such things for much longer. Devil had been anxious then, now he was fervent. It wasn't that Devil was intentionally putting him through physical pain; it was that he was being so stubborn. There was something he kept holding onto, but he wasn't sure what it was.

"Kazuya, don't worry. We'll figure something out," Jun said in low tones.

He felt one of her arms come across him from the side.

"You've always been so hopeful."

"It's my job to—it's to counteract your pessimism, you know."

"I'm not pessimistic."

"Oh? That's the first I heard."

"Even you have to be able to tell when there is nothing else to be done."

"I don't think anyone has that ability. You never know what could happen."

He didn't have anything else to say to her and a long silence ensued. "I'm going to sleep now," Kazuya finally said.

"Alright," he heard the other mumble.

But sleep was a thing of the past. For days he hadn't been able to do so and he would stare at nothing for hours on end despite being tired. Sleeping pills didn't work. Overdosing on Nyquil didn't work…but alcohol always seemed to do the trick. If only it didn't have such extensive side effects. The truth of the matter was that he had been resorting to such things when there was no one to see it. He had not expected Jun to come that day. In fact, so many weeks went by that Kazuya didn't think he was going to be visited anytime soon.

When he saw her face after such a long time, he was certain that he had been dreaming. He remembered it had taken him awhile to realize that the actual Jun stood in front of him. Her eyes had been so despondent that without even saying a word she had made him feel completely guilty. He knew that he couldn't stay around her much longer without hurting her. In fact, he knew that he couldn't be around anyone for very long without doing such a thing.

Going to work had been like hell. He could hardly even think—and that was the majority of what he had to do. Sometimes, entire workdays could go by and he wouldn't even know it. It was as if someone else had done it for him. What he could mostly remember was a lot of yelling…a startling amount of it. He didn't want to go back there, but he felt beckoned. Plus, it wasn't as if he could just not go. Even a CEO had to show up every once in a while. The thought of it, however, bothered him to no end.

He could think about a lot of things when all that he was doing was nothing—mostly things that shouldn't be dwelled on. Could he take another day of doing nothing or would he go back in to work? He grimaced a little when the throbbing increased. Just then he felt a slow stream of blood crawl down his nose. He didn't know what to make of it besides that he didn't want it to get on his sheets or for Jun to see it. Quietly, he crawled out of bed and made his way to the bathroom where he cleaned himself up. Luckily, it wasn't anything too severe. He held a few tissues to his nose for a couple of minutes and soon it subsided. He only wished he could say the same thing about the pain. It had gotten to a point that he was so dizzy that when he tried to walk, he could barely control where his feet were taking him. Tripping on himself was inevitable and embarrassing all at once. He was almost certain that he had done it more than once in front of Jin—a rather disconcerting realization. No one was watching so he could stay there as long as he wanted. Eventually, he used the wall as support in order to climb back to his feet.

_Look at you, Kazuya, you're so pathetic._

He just couldn't walk on his own as if he was just as wasted as yesterday. His vision was blurry and he felt incredibly sluggish. It was no wonder that Jin had been able to best him so easily. Was he really the same guy who had taken control of the Mishima Zaibatsu essentially by force? He walked at snail pace all the way back to his room where he deftly climbed back into bed. It was more of the same. He couldn't fall asleep no matter what. Funny how long the night could seem when you were forced to experience the whole thing consciously. Jun woke up early as she usually did. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine the scene just as it had always been. From force of habit, he did so.

"Oh, Kazuya," Jun called out to him, "It's time to get up. Do you feel like you can go to work today?"

What could he tell her without causing her to worry? "I'll be fine," he responded as he opened his eyes to the shining form of Jun.

"Listen, Kazuya, I've been thinking about what you told me. Don't rush things. If you still need time to yourself—

"No, that's not what I need," Kazuya said with a sigh. He sat up in bed. "I hardly even remember what I said to you last night. I really wasn't…in my right mind."

"What about the part about something called Devil?"

Kazuya gave her a confused expression, one that would convince even the most cautious skeptic.

"You don't remember that? Is it even true? Did you make some kind of deal with Devil? Anything?"

"It hardly sounds believable. If I said something like that, I don't think I was being serious or even knew what I was saying."

"Well, it couldn't have come from the clear blue. Some of it must be true. I felt true emotion there, Kazuya. I'm sure it must have been a metaphor at least. Maybe it's that there's some dark part of you that you feel too afraid to discuss or face. I don't have enough time now, but when we get back home tonight, we can talk."

"That's all you like to do, huh—talk."

"And what do you plan on doing? Ignoring this? Pretending that nothing ever happened? It's not going to work like that, Kazuya. Your problems will still be there whether you want them to or not."

"We have nothing to discuss."

"Ugh! I can't believe you can sit there and say that. It's too early in the morning for an argument; I'm just going to leave it like this. We'll talk later."

Jun was always the first one who left for work. Every morning he would eventually have the room to himself. He thought of simply staying there today and missing yet another day of work, but he knew it wasn't realistic. He was certain that he couldn't take another day of idleness—idleness was just as dangerous as going to work. Now that Jun and Jin were there to see it, he could not resort to the one thing that seemed to have any effect on him. Really, there was no choice to be made in the first place. He took one step out of bed and an excruciating pain struck him down so swiftly, that there was little defense he could put up against it—certainly not mentally. He met with the ground promptly as muscle spasms spread throughout. There was no way that he was going to cry out—Jin was somewhere near, he suspected, and he didn't want to alert him. All he did for the time being was grimace a little. Yet there was a conundrum that he couldn't quite unravel. Though he thoroughly believed that he was on the carpet, he felt himself walking forward. How could that be true at the same time? Despite his station on the ground, he forced himself to look up—maybe there was something he was missing. Maybe he had actually fallen asleep last night and this was still a dream. Kazuya hoped for the latter.

All that he managed to see were two shadowy feet walking away from him. The edges of his vision began to darken the longer he watched.

"Wait," Kazuya finally called out. It was the only thing he could think to say.

To his surprise, the shadowy feet ceased their advancement to the door and turned around to him.

"You're still conscious. Stubborn little man, aren't you?"  
>Since the shadowy figure was now squatting, Kazuya could make out the knees.<p>

"Humans really are pathetic if you take away their precious sleep. All that energy, all that robust strength is eliminated just like that." Kazuya heard a "click" sound like that of two fingers being flicked together. "You no longer have the will with which to fight me any longer. Why don't you just ease your pain and let things proceed as they should? Now that isn't so unreasonable, right? After all, we did make a deal."

"Devil…"

"That's right, it's me. I'm sure you recognize the voice from all those years ago. Be a good little boy, Kazuya. Let me take it from here."

Soon Kazuya could no longer see the knees as the figure stood up once again.

"Wait, Devil!"

"Don't fight it any longer. Your time is over."  
>"Please don't hurt them."<p>

" 'They' are no longer of your concern, are they? It's funny, though, even someone like you is susceptible to such an obvious weakness as familial bonds. Even knowing your fate, you selfishly put them in harm's way. Pathetic really. Is a human's need so difficult to ignore if it's for the greater good?"

Kazuya could still see the other walking further and further just as vision began to fade even more rapidly than before.

"Let sleep take you," Kazuya heard Devil's voice say as it floated over to him. "Rest now. Rest for eternity."

There was nothing normal about the tiredness that he felt at that moment. It was like drowning in a pool even though you knew how to swim. Something was dragging him down, some unnatural force. It would be easier to simply let go. If this was Devil's power, then he could do little to resist. Who was he fooling? How had he deluded himself into thinking that Devil was some kind of weak, pushover? So many years had gone by that the story that he had told Jun sounded more like a fairytale than reality. He could tell the difference now, there was no mistaking it. He struggled to stay awake despite himself. He knew that once he closed his eyes, they would never open again. Fear alone spurned him on. It was then that he realized that he really did want to live. There was something there in his life which hadn't been there before, something that he kept holding onto. Devil had said it already: familial bonds. Couldn't they be a family? If he tried hard enough, was there still a chance? Having a family wouldn't be so bad, really. He had already grown complacent as it was, did he really feel like fighting for the rest of his life? Given a real choice, he knew which path he would want to take at this point. That was why he was still resisting. The shadowy feet had disappeared, however, and there was no way to go and follow it. All the struggling in the world couldn't change that. It also couldn't change the fact that his energy was far too depleted to keep this up for very long. Eventually, he did lay flatly on the ground too tired to do anything else.

"Kazuya! Kazuya, what are you doing?"

_Jin?_

When Kazuya heard his voice in such a desperate tone, it was like the world opened up again. An image of Jin came before his eyes so quickly that he hardly knew what was happening.

"Let go of me!" Jin's cried out to him at a much louder volume.

It took Kazuya a moment to realize that his hands were clasped firmly around his neck. He loosened them immediately as his eyebrows creased in confusion.

"What was I…?"

_Is he hurt?_ But his answer came immediately when he noticed the discoloration around Jin's neck. It had been too late, he was thoroughly bruised. Any later and Jin might have been put out of his misery.

Because Kazuya had been knelt on the ground, when his grip loosened, it was easy for Jin to pull away. Jin distanced himself quite quickly.

"What the hell was that?" Jin bellowed. "Is this your real plan? You just want to kill people?" he continued to cry out.

"No…I'm…"

"You want to hurt Jun? If that's what you want to do, then why drag it out? What kind of sick bastard hangs around someone for so long just so they could kill them one day?"

"I'm…sorry," Kazuya managed to say as he tried to stand up on his own. The embarrassing fact still remained; he needed support to do so. He used the wall.

"Really? You're _still_ drunk? Where do you think you're going?"

"I have to go." His eyes were on the front door that was only a few paces in front of him.

"How many times do I have to tell you? No, you can't drive in your condition."

"Then I won't drive," Kazuya replied as he moved steadily towards the door.

"Wait, Kazuya, don't go!"

Kazuya turned to the other suddenly when he heard tears in his voice. It was such a startling development that it stopped him in his tracks.

"Please, don't go, okay?" Jin said again in a voice that was steadier, "It's Devil, isn't it? Jun told me everything."

"Of course she did," Kazuya said, "And somehow you chose to believe it."

"Well, it's true, isn't it? I_ hope_ it's true."

"You hope? You want something like Devil to exist?"

"No," Jin said shaking his head, "I just…don't want to believe that you can hurt people all on your own. I want to believe that if we helped you, everything will go back to how it used to be."

"Then you want a miracle, kid—it's better that you prepare yourself for the worst. Tell me, Jin, why are you here?"

"What?"

"I know. Circumstances can sometimes lead you to places you wouldn't go to otherwise. Somehow, you were led here. It always seemed like you had some specific goal, something you really wanted to do. I think I know what that is…finally."

He turned from the door in favor of going into the kitchen. The drawer with the kitchen knives was easy enough to pull out. He took up a particularly long and sharp one and returned to the living room. Already, he could see the fearful expression on the child's face. After all, he _had_ tried to kill him just a few minutes ago. Maybe he was just coming to finish the job. Kazuya advanced upon Jin wordlessly and then bent down to his level. Jin's eyes were wide now. Kazuya took both of the other's hands and clasped them on the handle of the knife with his own.

"Didn't you come here to kill me," Kazuya finally said.

"W-What? No way!"

Jin tried to pull away, but Kazuya's grip was practically unbreakable.

"Don't back out now. You've hated me from the very beginning and I'm giving you a chance to finish what you started."

"No."

"You wanted to protect Jun, didn't you? You saw what happened a few minutes ago. I tried to strangle you to death. What's stopping me from doing the same to Jun?"

"No! I said _no_! I just…can't do it. You bastard. Why would you ask me to kill you? If you just want to die, then do it yourself!"

Jin still tried to pull away, but it was to no avail until Kazuya released his clasp and let his hands drop. "I can't. It's not possible for me. Someone else would have to do it. Someone much stronger than me. You're right; I shouldn't be asking a kid to do something like this. You've been through enough."

Kazuya placed his hand on top of Jin's head. He saw the other look up at him with curious eyes, confused even. That was when he struck the other hard in the gut. He made it as painless as he could. When Jin grew limp, Kazuya lifted the other easily and placed him on the couch.

"The next time you wake, I'll be gone, but it would be for the best. Better that you and Jun stick together. Then maybe you'll have some chance at living a normal life—the one that I want for you."


	10. Through New Eyes

Chapter 10: Through New Eyes

"Kazuya, wait! It doesn't have to be like this!" Jin found himself crying out.

When he opened his eyes, however, he was in for a rude awakening. The brightness of the room that he was apparently in stung his eyes so much that he had to cover them with one of his arms. When he tried his right arm, he realized that he could barely move it. The left was a better choice.

"Jin, thank goodness, you're awake."

"Wha—?"

Jin glanced over and saw a blurry picture of a woman.

"Don't worry, I'm here."

"Jun?"

"I know it's been a while since we've talked, but I'll never stop being your mom."

"Oh, sorry—Mom."

"You gave me quite a scare. I don't know what possessed you to go running off like that, but in doing so you must have fallen into the well by accident."

"A well?"

"It was an old well covered in vines. You wouldn't know it was there unless you came upon it…and you were running. I didn't know it was there either. I thought I had…lost you. I searched for two days until I found it and thought to check it out. It took so much just to get you out of there and you've been recovering here ever since."

"I must have been unconscious…maybe I was just dreaming it all," Jin said as he slid his arm down from his slowly adjusting eyes.

"What are you going on about?"

"This whole time…I thought I had traveled to another time, but now I know it was all just a dream. I guess it makes sense."

"You said someone's name when you woke up. What was it?"

"It was nothing. Just something that I made up."

"Hm, I'm sure it was."

"By the way, do you have any idea when I go home? It's gonna' be really boring lying here all day."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before running around like some fool."

"I don't know why I did that. I was upset about something. It feels like it's been so long since then…"

"I know what it was. That was the only thing I could think about when I thought I lost you. Don't get me wrong, running off was stupid…but I was guilty of being too stubborn. You asked about your father and I…didn't give you a good answer."

"Mom, that's old news. I'm over that. It doesn't matter anyway."

"No."

"If he doesn't care enough to be here, then I shouldn't care to hear about him."

"Jin…" Jun said shaking her head.

"I wish I hadn't asked in the first place. None of this would have happened."

Jun took a deep breath, "It wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like," Jin asked as he turned his head. It was difficult to hold back his triumphant grin.

He didn't know what was real or not, but if his dream held any shred of truth, then Jun could easily be bated into saying something.

"Jin, I'm sorry. I must have been misleading you about him this whole time. I was just angry, but a mother shouldn't poison her son with her feelings—it's not her place. It's hard to be objective. The relationship I had with your father—it was supposed to end, there was no way around it so it's pointless to be upset about it. Your father—"

"What was his name?" Jin interrupted her. He noticed that she had been carefully avoiding saying it.

She took a sharp intake of breath, "Kazuya. His name was Kazuya. The Kazuya that I knew, he was sweet and gentle, but he was always so skillful at hiding that fact. Besides me, I don't think he was willing to share his heart with anyone. Your father, he was a fighter by necessity, but since I was with him, I'd never seen him fight before. If I hadn't followed him to that tournament, I don't think I ever would. Perhaps that was his downfall, not really wanting to fight in the first place."

"Downfall?" Jin questioned. He didn't like the sound of it. What if it meant…?

"It's…something I've been trying to deal with. His met his end at the hands of his father. I don't know what was going through his head to have called a tournament he was not ready for—

"I understand."

_Someone else would have to do it. Someone much stronger than me. _Those were the words that echoed in Jin's mind. Whatever Kazuya was becoming, he saw death as the only way out of a dark future.

"What do you mean, you understand? You never met him," Jun said interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. I just…I want to understand. He sounds like someone who wouldn't normally do something like that—or you wouldn't like someone like that."

"You're right—I don't think I'd like to be with a guy who never thought about what he did before he did it. That's what I thought your father wasn't, but he fooled me, Jin. Without even telling me, he disappeared. The tournament was such a big deal that it didn't take me long to track him down. The only problem was that he had blocked himself off from the general public. _I _was now part of that general public. Jin, sometimes I think he didn't want to be saved. When I finally got in contact with him again…he was too far-gone for me to get through to. I never understood what exactly was wrong with him or why he changed so drastically, but I always felt as if I could help him. Always."

"So there's no way now to get in contact with him?"

"Jin, he's dead. He was cremated, they said—his father in control of the entire affairs. I had no part in it. Besides, I was just some girlfriend."

"Maybe it was better that you weren't involved."

"You sound like him sometimes. Listen, Jin, a family is supposed to stay together no matter what. I know I was just his girlfriend, but I was the only real family he had…and he chose to toss me away like some cheap garbage. I'm sorry—I said I wouldn't do that anymore. You have to decide for yourself what you think of your father."

"How can I if I never met him? Everything I know about him is from you."

"I know. I'm sorry. Not all fathers can be around for their children."

"Mom, did he know about me…before he died?"

"I told him I was pregnant, yes, but I should have told him sooner before…At the tournament, when I met back up with him—I don't think that it mattered either way. I'm not even sure if he believed me or just figured I was using that as bait to reel him back in. He knew of you, Jin, but he didn't know your name and was never given the chance to actually meet you."

"I wonder what would have happened if he had?"

"You ask so many strange questions. Now, I've been talking for long enough. You should get some sleep that is if you don't want to stay bedridden for longer than you need to."

"Alright, Mom."

Jin wasn't sure what to believe. The last few weeks—or the last few weeks that he had imagined—seemed so real compared to what Jun had told him about falling into the well. He still didn't remember the well or anything. He only knew for certain that he was in a hospital bed now and that he felt as if he had been trampled on several times. What of Kazuya? Could he still save him?

Of course, the answer was obvious. In this reality, the one that wasn't dream, it was already done. Kazuya was impossible to reach. Even when Kazuya was alive, Jin felt the same way. It all seemed like a very bad dream. There was no hope to be found. His mother was just "making do". Jin was back to living with a woman who tried desperately every day to hide her pain. Jin was back to pretending that he didn't notice. What could he do now? What could anyone do?

He had no dreams that night. He didn't want any. Dreams only served to give false hope and then snatch it away at a moment's notice. When he woke up the next morning, Jun was no longer beside him. She might have needed some air, he didn't know. The only thing he could do was stare up at the ceiling. The bare walls around him reminded him too much of before. For some reason, no matter what he thought about, he couldn't stop his eyes from becoming moist. Just as he was wiping his eyes before any water spilled over, his mother walked in.

"I feared for the worst," Jun said as she returned to her post, "It's been two days."

"Two days?" Jin asked incredulously.

Time had slipped by so easily, but he didn't feel like trying to figure it all out.

"There's one thing I don't understand," Jun began slowly; "I was going over the first words you said when you woke up two days ago. Maybe it's just me going crazy, but I never told you your father's name before then. I don't understand how—"

"Don't worry about it. You were just hearing things."  
>"Jin, I can tell when you're lying. If there's something you want to talk about—"<p>

"There's nothing. I really don't feel like talking about anything."

"I won't push you. I guess I'm in no position to."

"Mom, why did he have to die? Wasn't there something you could have done?"

"Even if there was, there's no use dwelling in the past. If that's all that's bothering you, then you should just let the subject rest."

Jin knew that he had reached the end of Jun's patience. She hardly wanted to say anything at all. Besides, he was probably only forcing her to relive painful memories.

"There's just one more thing," Jin said, "I want to visit his grave."

"I'm sorry, Jin, but I have no idea where that is."

"What?"

"Like I said, his father took care of everything after his death and I had no part in it. If there was a funeral, I wasn't aware of it."

"And you were never curious as to how everything worked out?"

"It's water under the bridge."

"Are you really okay with that?"

"There was nothing I could do," Jun replied with a tense voice, "His father was a very powerful man. If he wanted to keep everything a secret, then he did. I didn't want to rock the boat—it was not in my interest. I had _you_ to take care of and I wanted to keep your existence a secret as well."

"I don't like this at all."

"What's done is done. Trust me; you don't want someone like Kazuya's father in your life unless absolutely necessary. I took care of you so that I could protect you. Do you understand now?"

_I understand that there are too many loose ends. There's still that chance…There's still that chance that _he_ could be alive and mom was just too scared to go and figure it all out…_

"Mom, you used to be like a detective when you were younger, right?"

"Yes, but how did you—"

"It doesn't matter. Something else must have stopped you from digging deeper."

"I wasn't just any old detective. I worked for a government organization that mainly dealt with wildlife, not actual people. What are you trying to get at?"

"It's just all really strange."

"I'm glad that you have this newfound appreciation for your father, but he wasn't perfect."

"I know he wasn't."

"Soon after he disappeared from my life, I was put on a big case. There had been reports on a major increase in smuggling animals and even worse, allegedly, these animals were being experimented on. It led me straight to your father."

"It wasn't him."

"Jin, now I know—"

"It wasn't _him_. Don't you think he was being….um, 'influenced' by something?"

"That's enough, Jin. Please don't make excuses for him. It isn't your job."

"But you have to believe that. You _knew _him. You said he was sweet and gentle. Why would he do that out of the blue? Does that even add up to you?"

"I don't know what to believe."

"What did he tell you?"

Jun shook her head.

"What did he _tell_ you," Jin repeated with more force.

"You think I'm going to let you speak to me in that tone?"

"Spare me. I've already fallen into a well and I can barely move as it is. Unless you feel like finishing me off, what else do you plan on doing to me?"

"Jin! Who taught you how to speak like that?"

"Just answer my question already."

"Fine, but I'm not letting you off that easily. Your father, he wasn't much of a talker—whatever I learned, I had to squeeze out of him. What he said, it didn't make much sense to me and I didn't even begin to believe him. I do know for certain that there was something wrong. When I tried to help him, he disappeared. I don't think he wanted anyone's help. It was really all just a dead end."

"He's not dead," Jin said quietly.

Jun sighed, "I guess it would seem that way from your position, but you have to believe me. I was the one who was really there."

"I know you were. That's why you have to believe it to. He's not dead."

Jun's eyebrows furrowed a little.

"There's no grave. You didn't see him die. If he really died at the hands of his father, then why is there such a big secret over my father's death?"

"Since it was a tournament, death is something commonplace. Every fighter must sign a contract if they are to enter. No one is blamed for any deaths incurred. Everyone knows that his father killed him—he was the one who took over the corporation from him, but it was never proven nor could it ever be officially his fault. His father is a thorough man; he isn't one for half-doing what he set out to do. It's not a big mystery, Jin."

"Is that what you tell yourself all the time? What if something were to happen to me? Would you just listen to some random person who tells you I'm dead? Or would you go look for me?"

"That's a different story."

"No, it isn't. He's not dead."

"Jin, we're just going around in a circle. I know that he's dead. I've kept you safe here from the world for that very reason. That's all there is to it. Now please, Jin, no more of this. I'm not sure what's gotten into you, but you're just going to have to take my word for it, alright?"

There was no arguing about it to Jun. Jin realized that she had made up her mind long ago probably before he was ever born. If anyone was going to go look for him, it would be him. Even that seemed impossible. He'd at least have to wait until he recovered. But where would he go from there? She had kept him safe from the world, sure, but she had also trapped him. He'd never been any further than the forest that surrounded the house let alone out in the city.

Jin did let the subject drop, but it was all he could ever think about. His father might be somewhere out there, alive somehow. It never once crossed his mind that it wasn't the case. There was really nothing besides Jun that could tell him any different. Back then, he might have trusted Jun unconditionally, but Jin knew better now—she was full of fallacies, affected just as much as he by the situation.

The next few weeks that he spent in the hospital were almost unbearable. Without knowing it, he had gotten used to the Jun from his dreams—the nice and understanding one who had infinite patience. The one that remained was a scarred one, filled with hidden anger and far less patience. Now that he knew more about her, Jin doubted the Kazuya that he had known would even recognize Jun as she was now. There was something very wrong with this picture and only he could see it. Maybe, he was the only who was supposed to see it.

By the time he was allowed to leave the hospital and finish the rest of his recovery at home, he had made up his mind. He wasn't going to let things stay as they were. He had been too scared before, too much of a child to change his circumstances, but now was his chance. Maybe he had seen the past in order to create a better future.


	11. A Higher Plan

Chapter 11: A Higher Plan

Jun tossed and turned as she continued to experience a dream that she could not escape from. Her sheets were everywhere and by the time of the next morning they were soaked in her sweat. She sat up immediately as soon as she could open her eyes. Her breathing was quite erratic. She had to sit there for almost half an hour before it subsided and even then she was still a bit winded.

It was that person again—the one who she had tried to forget. This had been the first time in a long time that something like this had happened. She thought she had gotten over the loss of Kazuya from her life, but now all the emotion had come back anew as if she had made no progress at all.

"Jin," Jun breathed to herself.

She climbed out of bed and went to his room to check on him. Something felt wrong. When she opened the door, she grew a little panicked—he wasn't in his bed.

"Jin!" Jun called out loudly. "Jiiiin!"

When there was no response, her heart skipped a beat. She tried the bathroom, but he was not there. In fact, she looked all around the house and he was not there.

"Jin!" Jun called out even louder. "You better stop hiding! You come out right now, boy!"

The only thing that answered her was more silence.

"Oh, no," Jun whispered. "No, he has to still be here—maybe he's in the woods."

Jun scrambled out through the front door and ran off towards the dense forest around them. Really, it was an astonishing sight. She hadn't run like that in a long time. She hadn't even been sure if she was capable of such a pace anymore, but she found herself running and running. All the while she was calling out his name like a battle cry. She knew the woods better than most so there was hardly any chance that she would get lost. She called his name out until her voice became hoarse after so many hours of screaming and running. Her energy left her at some point and she lethargically made her way back to the clearing. She at least made it there, but she could move no further.

Whether it was emotion or physical weakness that made her drop to her knees was hard to say. She did so at that moment trying to hold back her tears—she didn't feel like crying right now. She had done so much of it before yet here she was just as weak as ever unable to find strength from anywhere. Then she finally crumbled to the ground in a fit of tears.

"Jin…where are you?"

She depleted her store of pent up anger and sadness just when the sun was at its highest. It was the afternoons, but she still had tears to spare. Maybe she would never move from her position. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn't look up immediately because the touch felt strange but familiar. It could not have been Jin, his hands were much smaller and she could not sense him near.

"Who…?" Jun croaked.

"Jun, what's wrong?"

Her eyes grew wide as they still stared at the ground. It couldn't be possible. There was something very wrong, maybe she was still dreaming. That's what she kept telling herself at least, but she couldn't resist looking up and seeing his face again this time wrought with concern.

"I know you can't be real," Jun said weakly, "You're too young. You're just as I remembered you from before."

"That is how I remember myself as well. I'm sure I must be older by now."

Jun blinked back tears so as to get a better look at him. He looked so solid, so real, but when the sun hit him at the right angle, she could see that he was indeed translucent. If she was going crazy, she didn't care. She was so desperate now that even an apparition was enough to console her even if he wasn't real. She grabbed hold of him and cried onto his chest. By this time, he had dropped down to his knees so as to be at her level. This hadn't been the first time she had seen him like this as clear as day. All those other times, she hadn't cared either. She would carry on with him as if it was perfectly fine, but she knew that it wasn't—she knew that it was dangerous to keep on seeing him like she did.

"Jin…where did he go?"

"I'm sure you already know the answer to that. You can sense that he's no longer here."

"But he has no leads."  
>"It seems that he is quite the adventurous one."<p>

"Kazuya, or whoever you are—I know you aren't real. So please, just do me a favor and leave me. I'll be okay."

"No, you won't."

"Please just go this just isn't right."

"This is the only place I'd rather be."

"Stop saying things like that."

"I've never fought with you on this point, but why do you continue to believe that I'm not real?"

"You're an apparition, don't you get that? A ghost. A figment of my imagination. A nothing."

"I could be all those things if you want. I've been in your dreams before, but I could not comfort you there."

"Then what are you?"

"A spirit perhaps. You can sense spirits, can't you?"

"No, I mean yes, but not you. Just not you."

"Is it too convenient?"

"I don't know who or what you are. I don't know if I should just walk away or just keep pretending everything's alright. You couldn't be Kazuya because he's older than you and…he's dead."

"No, I'm alive. My body has been made alive."

"I don't understand."

"I wouldn't be here if that wasn't true, if my body was not still here, I'd have no right to be on this plane of living."

"Are you saying…that you're alive?"

"Yes, my body is in the process of being completely revived whether it was ever supposed to be or not."

"Then why are you here? Why are you not with your own body?"

"I was drawn here, Jun. I wanted to see you again. You're the one person who would appreciate that."

"You have someplace to be, don't you? A body cannot be alive without a spirit."

"I am not wanted there any longer. My father defeated me and in that moment, my once whole spirit became quite fractured. Devil had taken its toll upon me while I was at my weakest. Even Devil's spirit was fractured. Its other half still roams very close around here. While I'm here, no harm will come to my son."

"Devil," Jun said quietly, "You told me about it. I…believe you now."

"Devil came for him, didn't it?"

Jun could only nod.

"I came too late. I was lost for a while until I was able to sense your spirit. You've suffered no further confrontations with Devil, have you?"

"I thought since I defeated it once then it would never come back."

"No, Devil is quite tenacious."

"You've been here this whole time?"

"For a while."

"Then it was you. You sent him those dreams. He wasn't unconscious, was he? He was trapped in some dream world that he couldn't wake up from. All he ever mumbled about was you. Your name was all I heard. You were all he could talk about once he woke up. It was you."

"I sent him those dreams. I sent you the same dreams, but they became poisoned with your anger—it was impossible for you to see. However, Jin is far more innocent, less corrupt."

"You bastard! You knew what would happen if you did that. You knew he'd run off like this!"

"Kazuya wants to see him."

"Wait, _you're_ Kazuya."

"I am, but not really. Don't worry; no harm will come to Jin. He will be led to him."

"But why? I don't understand."

"Shouldn't a father want to see his son? That was his dying wish, but he is alive now. You told him that you were pregnant and that was all he ever wanted ever since. Some small fractured part of him wants to see him and his want was transferred to me."

"If you're not Kazuya, who are you?"

"I am what you see before you."

"Wait a minute," Jun said as she began to realize something. "You're his good side. You're the part of him that allows him to do the right thing."

Jun watched the other smile at her, "Mostly. I am the part of Kazuya which resonates with you the most."

"And you're still fighting against Devil."

"I am only fighting against a portion of Devil and I will lose that battle."

"You can't lose hope. You can't give up just like that."

"It is a fact. I grow weaker every passing day. My body no longer wants me—I have been disposed of. That I'm still here surprises even me."

"What do you mean disposed of?"

"Even a fraction of Devil's presence is enough to take over a human. Devil disposes of all that contradicts its will."

"Please, you have to stay. You have to stay alive for Kazuya."

"If I wasn't constantly fighting Devil, I may stay longer."

"Is there something I can do?"

"You must purify yourself, Jun. Then you may help others."

"How can I do that?"

"Eliminate the hate and anger in your heart."

"That's easier said than done."

"I understand all too well. But I'm here, Jun, and I will help you in any way possible."

"No, don't spread yourself thin. You said you fight with Devil constantly. I can't ask for any help from you. Save your strength for surviving."

"I will, if it would please you."

"It would."

Jun looked directly at him then and it was as if a message was sent between them. She closed her eyes as she felt his cool lips on hers. She wanted it to last longer, but soon he faded away perhaps off to another battle with Devil. If she listened close enough, sometimes she could hear it.

/

Jin had never been on a bus before. In fact, had the bus driver not been so charitable, he probably never would have been on one in the first place. He dared not go to the back. Getting onto a vehicle full of complete strangers was intimidating enough; he didn't want to push his luck. He stayed in the very front where he was sure the bus driver could keep an eye on him. He had asked the bus driver to take him to the nearest library and he had been assured that in three stops if he got off at the stop and followed the road behind him, he'd arrive at a library which was located directly beside a police station. So far so good.

That morning when he had left, he had had no idea where to even begin looking, but when he saw a bus stop sign on the sidewalk he had been walking on an idea came to mind. It was working out just fine for now. He looked around himself nervously. His eyes passed from one passenger to the next. Not one of them was even close to his age. Jin began to wonder if kids were even allowed to ride the bus. He counted to himself each time the bus came to a screeching stop.

One.

Two dirty old men climbed on the bus and made their way to the far back. A woman who must have seen better days followed in suit

Two.

Three teenagers climbed on and took the first seats they could find. Another old lady who looked far more dignified took her sweet time finding a suitable seat in the front where Jin was.

Three.

There was no one at the bus stop, but the bus driver had stopped on his behalf.

"Thank you, mister," Jin said respectfully to the driver.

"Don't mention it, son. Now you just make sure you keep yourself safe. Here's some money," he said lifting up Jin's hand and placing it in them securely.

"Oh, no, I can't accept this."  
>"Trust me; you'll need it more than me. You just make sure you find a telephone booth and call up your folks. A kid like you shouldn't be traveling alone."<p>

"Alright, sir, I will," Jin lied as he placed the money into his pocket.

Jin took his leave off the bus before the man could think of anything else to give him and waved goodbye as the bus took off down the narrow street. There was still a lot of forestry. Jin had yet to even make it to the nearest town, but he was at least far enough that his mom would not be able to find him. He walked at a quickened pace down the long, winding road behind him. For some reason, he thought that he might find something at the library, but he didn't know what or even where to begin looking. When he finally made it to the library and passed through the sliding doors, he felt drawn to the magazine section.

He had never been to a library before, but the glossy, bright pictures of the magazines grabbed his attention. Of course, Jin knew enough that books were at a library, but not those kinds of "books". He only vaguely remembered that the thin, glossy books were called magazines. The first one he picked up was one that had a familiar name on it—Mishima. The main story in this magazine was about the Mishima Zaibatsu. On the cover was a man named Heihachi Mishima.

"That name…" Jin said to himself.

He flipped through the book, sometimes becoming sidetracked by other pictures but finally arriving on the feature story, and read to himself. He read through it twice expecting to find some mention of Kazuya, but there was none. All that he had discovered was that the Mishima Zaibatsu was one the of the most largest and lucrative business empires in Japan—it was interesting to say the least, but it gave him no leads.

"It's not often I see a kid these days reading the _Business Intrigue_," a woman said from behind Jin.

Jin turned to the lady and smiled politely to her. "The feature story was interesting—I thought I saw the 'Mishima' name somewhere else before."

"You probably have. It's a bit of a family corporation—it's been in that magazine three times now. It was Jinpachi Mishima that first made the corporation so huge; it's practically a household name. Then it was passed to his grandson, Kazuya, after tragedy struck—then in an odd turn of events to Kazuya's father after another tragedy. I tell you, the Mishimas sure know how to draw a lot of attention. The CEO changes so much, it's hard to keep up; they even have a tournament that basically decides who the next CEO will be—a strange, but effective method in running a business. A phenomenon like that will be sure to garner a lot of news coverage."

"You know a lot about the Mishima Zaibatsu."

"Honey, all you have to do is turn on the television. Here, let me find you a more reputable magazine—it'll give you the whole story."

Jin followed her a little ways down the aisle to another magazine whose feature story was the Mishima Zaibatsu except this time the picture on the front was that of a very large building.

"While you're at it, since you're so interested—here."

The librarian handed him another magazine called the _Science Informer_.

"What's that for?" Jin questioned.

"The best way to get all the information about a corporation like the Mishima Zaibatsu is to look at its most formidable competition. You wouldn't happen to be doing a report on this for school, are you?"

"Uh…yes, as a matter of fact, I am," Jin replied realizing that he could possibly get more information out of her this way.

"As a matter of fact, there is a book that has the biographies of all the previous CEOs of the Mishima Zaibatsu—it's pretty interesting."

Jin found that he had dozens of books to read through. He thought he might tire of reading so many books, but he was there for hours reading what everyone else thought about the Mishima Zaibatsu, conspiracy theories, why the business was so lucrative, what exactly did the corporation do, suspicions of murder, and even the "Mishima curse" that was often attributed to the fact that since the corporation's birth the CEO's have died one by one and Heihachi was next. He read books about the The King of Iron Fist Tournaments and how they had turned out thus far. Despite himself, he found himself dozing off as he read about the many experiments that G Corporation and Mishima Zaibatsu had in common. He was jolted back to wakefulness when the intercom instructing that the library would close in five minutes came on. On this cue, Jin quickly gathered his books and put them back up as neatly as he could.

He knew the next place he was going to be visiting—he only wished that he had a more assured plan of getting there. He would take it one step at a time. For the time being, he needed to take the bus to the nearest airport. From there, he had no idea what he was going to do. Even with this knowledge, something drove him—he wasn't quite sure why, but he felt as if _had_ to keep going and that eventually he'd be at his destination wherever that might be.

/

AN: Finally an update. I've been meaning to do it, but never got around to it partially because I had no idea where I was going with this, but I at least have some inkling now.


	12. The Pieces of My Soul

AN: That's right, I'm updating, you can pick your chin off the ground now. This is a bit short, but don't worry, I'm just setting things up for the long run. Also, I really appreciate the reviews. They're fuel; trust me.

Chapter 12: The Pieces of My Soul

"Kazuya, where are you?" Jun shouted to the skies.

Ever since that day when Jin had left and she had discovered the truth about Kazuya's presence—it was as if she could sense him everywhere at once, but at the same time nowhere near her. She wondered why she hadn't been able to sense him before. Could it have been because of her own hatred? It wasn't something she liked to admit to herself, but perhaps it was true, perhaps what Kazuya had told her was true. She no longer felt like crying these days, in fact the tightness in her chest which she felt on a daily basis seemed as if it had never been there. She remembered that once she had been able to love. She had been left with the image of a younger Kazuya in her mind and she felt an acceptance. That he could still look at her in such a way meant that she had interpreted his actions at the tournament wrong…and she was glad. That was why she called him this day. Instead of anger, she felt something else altogether—a sense of duty. There was something she had to do and she was determined to do it.

She waited for his form to have more definition until she could see him clearly. She hadn't thought it would work, but it seemed that even just calling him would bring him within her sights.

"I'm here as always," came his response.

They stood only inches apart. She could tell that there was something different about him today. "Did I interrupt something?" Jun asked a little worriedly.

"Nothing of the sort."

"You do seem a bit tired today."

"Do I? A true spirit doesn't feel those sorts of things as a living being would. Perhaps I have stronger ties to Kazuya than I suspected."

"It still sounds kind of weird to hear you refer to yourself in third person."

"Well, for lack of a better name, you continue to call me Kazuya as if I were him—it's rather flattering. A living being is far more complex than I could ever be."

"I guess you don't think much of yourself, but it's understandable being separated from 'yourself'. I think I'll simply call you Kazuya, though, even if you are just a small part of him. But you do seem different today—is it Devil? Has it become too much to handle?"

"Perhaps it is Devil. As of late, Devil has become quite fervent. Jun, spirits don't often change on their own, there must be some external force that is egging him on."

"What does that mean for you?" Jun asked no longer able to hide the worry from her tone.

"It means I have my work cut out for me. But I would rather not continue to dwell on how my time is being spent. Wasn't there something you wanted to ask of me?"

"I want to fix things with Kazuya—I wasn't able to before, but now I see that I still have a chance. You say he's still alive."

"Yes, he is."

"So I would like to help. His soul is fractured that is why you are here instead of with him. If I could find the other parts of him and bring them together, bring them back to him, won't he be whole again—it'd be like nothing had changed at all."

"You are forgetting something. Devil was the one who cast out the parts of Kazuya which hindered it. Even if you were to do as you say, the Kazuya that you know, the one now controlled by Devil would not accept me or anything else as part of himself."

"Then I'll just have to get rid of Devil."

"Your determination is admirable, but you cannot simply "get rid" of Devil—Devil is eternal; it is a necessary part of this world. You cannot destroy that."

"I don't want to do that. I just…want Devil to get away from Kazuya."

"Can you do that?"

"I believe that I can."

"Well, whenever you put your mind to something, there's no one who can stop you."

"Will you come with me, then? Help me locate the other "parts" of him."

"I cannot go with you else Devil will follow you everywhere you go. I must keep him occupied for you. Devil does not know of Jin leaving nor should it know of you and what you intend to do."

"You can't just keep this up forever."

"I won't. Come back for me—I will join you lastly."

"Alright. You'd better be here when I do. I need some specifics, however. I don't know where to start or how many partial spirits were cast out. I was hoping you could tell me."

"There were three, one of them being me. You already know what I represent. Another will represent his righteousness—the part of him that is able to distinguish right from wrong. The third will represent his capacity for love."

"I thought that was you."

"No, I am a very specific kind of love—selfish in some ways, completely and utterly devoted—it does not allow for anything else but to honor you. That is different from love in general. Kazuya can no longer appreciate other people or things. He can no longer value things like work and effort unless it is selfish in nature."

"So those are the three parts. Where would I start?"

"It is difficult to say. It is true that a spirit will choose to stay in one place rather than continue to wander about and I sense that this is the case with the others. They will reside in places that resonate with them and, of course, are familiar to Kazuya. Love," he said closing his eyes for a moment, "will be located at his mother's grave. Righteousness will be located in the Mishima Gardens."

"Thank you, Kazuya."

"I wish you the best of luck. I have no doubt that you will be successful."

She watched mystified as he lifted up her hand and coolly kissed the back of it before disappearing once again.

/

Jin scrambled off to the bus once again, this time he was going to the airport. He used the money that he had gotten from the last bus driver to do as much. For some reason, even after leaving everything that was familiar to him, he felt at ease. He felt as if he was on some kind of adventure and at the same time he felt safe. His eyes stayed glued on the large windows on the city bus as the world passed him quickly by. It was as if the bus was taking the scenic route. Soon enough, the large, expansive airport came into view. Jin was only too eager to climb off the bus. For a moment, he felt very small and alone but the feeling passed quickly. He was already racing through the parking lot as if he were in a race against time.

The parking lot was huge and full of cars old and new alike. He'd never seen so many of them at once. He thought he saw a blue Corvette but decided against investigating it closer. It wouldn't make sense that his father would be here and even if he was, would he really be using the same car?

Not even close to running out of breath he glided through the automatic doors and into main lobby where tellers cheerfully helped the customers. It wasn't very crowded today so there was no wait required before he got to the teller. It was at that moment that he realized that he had no idea how he was going to obtain a ticket. Ask politely? Give her a sob story and she might waive the fees?

Jin found himself quite nervous when he looked at the lady across the counter. "Um…may I please get a ticket for Nepal, Nebraska?"

"Ah, I see you're flying internationally. Were you with that other group of children; they were going the same way."

"Y-yes," Jin answered almost in disbelief.

"You better hurry up. She asked me to hold the flight, but I don't have the power to do that. I'm sure she'll be relieved that you made it in time. Here you go."

Jin was handed a ticket, the very ticket that he needed and he stared at it in utter amazement. He never imagined it would be this easy.

"Now get going. Just go to the plane indicated on the ticket."

Jin nodded numbly and then ran off once again—his flight would take off in two minutes. This time, he really was racing. He went through the departure area and just as he saw the last person being helped onto the plane, he arrived as well. He had no luggage so all he had to do was find a seat. He went to the area indicated on the ticket and found almost immediately the group of children that the woman had been referring to. He ducked his head and sat as far away from them as he could. They weren't at all suspicious, Jin realized, as he watched them from afar. Soon he let out a sigh of relief and relaxed in his chair. He made sure to sit next to the window.


	13. Love

Chapter 13: Love

The graveyard had stood there for countless years and it stretched for miles. The caretaker could hardly be bothered with making sure all the graves were up to par. With time, the gravestones became dingy and cracked. Visitors hardly came which was to be expected. Some graves dated back centuries—the loved ones who might have come were probably deceased as well. Despite the age, however, there weren't really any tales of lingering ghosts or haunting—at least for this particular graveyard which was a feat in itself. Lately, however, the caretaker had become aware of some strange disturbances near the newer part of the cemetery. Despite never seeing anyone visit, the flowers at a certain grave remained bright and vibrant. The old ones that had been there had suddenly sprung back to life. This wasn't an altogether bad thing; in fact, it was rather invigorating to see such bright colors in a dreary place, but the caretaker couldn't make much sense out of it.

One day the caretaker simply sat there watching the gravesite where the flowers were, waiting the whole time for a person to come, but none came. Neither did anyone come the next day or the next. He examined the grave and saw that it was quite pristine. It caught his eye among all the other sad, lonely stones.

Some days he could have sworn he heard a child's voice, but then the sound would disappear just as quickly as it appeared. The small voice travelled on the breezes whenever they came through, but he could never quite place where it was coming from. When he looked towards where he thought the voice originated, he would be looking once again at the well-kept gravestone. He looked down at the name and read "Kazumi Mishima". It was a simple gravestone with only a single name engraved upon it. There was no epitaph, no last words to describe anything about who this person might be. It was depressing the more that he looked at it. Most graves had some other words on it besides the name of the deceased. There was always the standard "In Loving Memory" or "Rest in Peace, but here there was nothing as if the woman's life had been brief and inconsequential ending with a hasty burial and a cheap gravestone.

Days and weeks passed before a woman approached that very same gravestone. A very beautiful woman who walked with a grace all her own—at least in the caretaker's eyes—bent down to take a closer look at the site. The caretaker took it upon himself to approach her. He didn't get many visitors anyway.

"So you're the one who's been looking after this one," the caretaker said when he was within earshot.

The woman looked up a bit startled as if she hadn't noticed he was there. "Not at all, but I would like to be alone at the moment," she replied in dismissive tones.

The caretaker took his cue and left her to her own devices, but not far enough to where he couldn't see what she would do next.

Jun grimaced at the stone's simplicity. "That thoughtless bastard. He couldn't even spare a few dimes for his own wife," she said to herself. She looked up to the skies and called out, "Kazuya! Wherever you are, I'm here!"

A hefty amount of wind rushed passed her, stinging her eyes a bit with all the grit and dust of the other gravestones. Then it died down abruptly. Before her stood a little boy. Just like with the other spirit, he appeared solid, but closer observation proved that he was indeed translucent.

"Are you—You're Kazuya, aren't you?"

The child nodded simply.

"Well, can you talk?"

"Sorry," he finally said. "It's been a long time. Why are you here?"

"I've come to take you back to your rightful place."

"I've long since been rejected," the child answered in monotone.

"Kazuya—"

"I'm not Kazuya," the boy interrupted despondently.

"I know you're just a small part of him, but it's the only thing I can think to call you."

There was something about this child that tugged at her heartstrings. He seemed utterly abandoned and alone. His eyes never once looked at her directly. He seemed resigned to his fate as if he had given up all hope.

"Your eyes, they seem determined, filled with purpose. What did you expect to accomplish today," the child spoke once again.

"I had hoped to convince you to come with me. Kazuya, the real Kazuya, he's alive and I want him whole again."

"Your determination moves me, but your plan leaves much to be desired. If I could have gone back to him, I would have. He's made it clear that he wants no more to do with me."

"It'll be different now because I'm here. Kazuya deserves another chance and I want to give it to him."

"I see now. You want to employ your own abilities. Do you believe you'll be successful?"

"Yes, I have to anyway. That's how my powers work."

"Then I will follow you."

"You will?"

"I don't exactly have a choice. I've done nothing more but wait around uncertain of what I should do next."

"So…you're the part that 'loves'. Why did you choose this place?"

"She taught Kazuya how to love, how to value others in spite of. I am often ignored. I often complicate matters where decisiveness would have been the better road. There is little room or patience for me. Even in the best of times, I am taken for granted."

"You know, you're rather depressed for someone who represents love."

"Sorry."

"Is that all you can say?"

"I'll follow you wherever you go. Lead the way, miss."

Jun sighed. "Alright, then. Let's find this righteousness."

The child disappeared without a second thought and she felt a certain heaviness disappear from the gravesite. The flowers that were there rotted away and the gravestone itself dulled in appearance. Kazuya's presence was gone from the place.

"Don't push yourself too hard. You've driven a long way to reach here."

Jun heard his voice in her ear but she couldn't find him specifically. "I'm in a bit of a rush."

"You have a long road ahead of you. Travel with care."

Jun wasn't sure if he meant it literally or metaphorically, but she did have to travel far to get to the Mishima Gardens. It was the place she had been dreading the most. Heihachi might be there. She wasn't even sure if she was allowed on the property.

/

Jin was once again left wondering where he should go next. Having made it to Nepal, Nebraska, he had no idea where he might find the G Corporation research facility. The articles hadn't been quite so specific as to where the location was. He began to walk in any direction hoping that he might one day simply run into his destination. He was in another country after all and he didn't know very much English.

He found himself running. He raced through neighborhoods after neighborhoods, mall centers after mall centers until he gave himself a break and drank greedily from a public water fountain. Then he realized something, he was hungry, very hungry. He hadn't so much as packed a sandwich before he left home, a fact that became quite depressing.

The water fountain that he found had been in a public park. With a heavy sigh, he sat down on a bench nearby to rest. He was just beginning to realize how naïve he had been to believe that he could face the world all on his own. Everything seemed new to him. He was certain that the money he did have wouldn't work in an entirely different country. Still, he liked all the new sights. It was only comforting thing left to dwell on.

"Hey, brat, move over so I can sit down."

Jin looked up in shock when he heard that voice. It was him. It was Kazuya—_the_ Kazuya. Perhaps not the same Kazuya from his dreams, but his appearance was unmistakable. He seemed more imposing, more powerful than before and it looked as if time itself hadn't been kind to him. Jin sat up automatically and allowed for the other to sit.

"How the hell did you make it all the way out here? I thought surely that woman would have kept you somewhere safe."

Jin was too much in shock to even respond. Did the other really know who he was? How could he if, theoretically, he had never seen him before and only knew that he existed?

"You know who I am?"

"You _are_ Jin, are you not?" he questioned.

"But how…?"

Kazuya stood up then. "You've been having dreams as well, haven't you? It seemed real, but I knew better. At least, I thought I did. You can't change the past yet that's all I seem to think about."

"But we can change the future."

"And I think you're in over your head. Better that you went back home somewhere…safe."

"I can't. Besides, I'm here now."

"A miracle in itself, I suppose." Kazuya turned to him then. "By some strange stroke of fate, you actually made it here. You knew I would be here."

"I didn't know anything," Jin said looking down. "I think I was 'led' here."

"The particulars aren't important. Do you have someplace to stay?" Kazuya implored.

Jin shook his head no, suddenly quite shy in the other's presence. Despite everything, Jin felt that all his immediate problems were solved. There was someone who would take care of him. He would be fed, he'd have someplace to sleep and he wouldn't be left out on the streets alone. He looked up at the other expectantly, but the other seemed deep in thought as if it required the skills of a rocket scientist to determine what to do next.

"Just take me to where you live," Jin said loudly cutting through the other's thoughts.

"No," he said roughly startling the other. "I can't take you there. It isn't safe." Then he began to pace slowly. After a few moments, he stopped. "Follow me," he said steadily.

When he walked off, Jin scrambled after him. Jin heard the other mumbling to himself, but he decided not to comment on this. Jin might be able to believe that this was Kazuya, but he was quite different. Something was very off about the man. They walked quite a ways before they stopped at one of the dinkiest hotels Jin had ever beheld.

"You want me to stay here?" Jin asked incredulously.

"You don't have any other choice, do you? I doubt you had the foresight to bring any money with you," the other said in an almost accusing tone.

"I'm just a kid—I don't have any money!"

"Why did you even come here? What possessed you to make such a foolhardy journey? Now _I_ have to care of you," Kazuya said with a grimacing look.

It never occurred to Jin that Kazuya _didn't_ want him here. He was under the impression that Kazuya himself had "sent" for him somehow, that those dreams were proof that he wanted to make things right with his son. The revelation was shocking. Again he wondered what he had gotten himself into. Was it even logical to have followed a dream so wholeheartedly? Who had sent those dreams? Were they even real?

"I'm sorry…I didn't realize…"

"Just go inside already, kid. I can't very well leave you out there in some park like a homeless child. No son of mine will be caught dead."

Jin was led to a room fit for a single person. He knew instantly that Kazuya would not be staying with him. He was to be left here on his own. None of this was going as he had planned it in his head. He thought simply finding Kazuya again would solve everything, now he realized it was only a small part of the solution.

"Dad," he began slowly as he stood in the small room, but he was interrupted before he could say anything.

"For god sake, don't call me that," Kazuya said exasperatedly.

Jin looked up a bit startled by this reaction.

"If _they_ knew you were here," he said shaking his head slowly. "The walls have ears you know, watch what you say from here on out. I'm _not_ your father and you are _not_ my son."

"But…" Jin thought for a moment. "Who is 'they'?"

"The less you know the better."

"So what will you do?—keep me trapped here? What do you plan to do with me?"

"I don't know yet. You waltz in here unannounced and you expect me to already have a plan. What do you want anyway? Why are you even here?"

"I…well…I thought we…" the words became trapped in his throat. How could he say that he wanted the other to return home with him, that he wanted him and Jun to be a family again? He'd be rejected without a second thought. Maybe…Maybe the situation required a little more finesse. "I don't know yet," he finally replied copying the other.

Kazuya looked at the other with an amused expression. "You came all this way for _something_, I'm sure of it. Maybe a few days 'trapped' in here as you say will jog your memory. Silly brat, you haven't the slightest clue how to get back home."

Jin didn't like the belittling tone Kazuya had begun to use. In fact, he wasn't sure he even _liked_ this Kazuya. Did he even want to ask him to come back with him? Could Jun even appreciate someone like him? Maybe Kazuya had been right. Maybe he really was in over his head.

"I'm leaving," Kazuya announced abruptly when the other wasn't able to hold his interest.

"Wait!" Jin shouted before the door closed. "I'm hungry!" he yelled out so the other might hear him through the door.

For a long moment, nothing happened, but then the door opened once again. Jin could already see the agitated look on his face.

"You expect me to feed you as well? We can't be seen together in any case. Here." Kazuya took some money out of his pocket and tossed it over to the other who wasn't able to quite catch all of it. "Use it wisely. I doubt we'll be seeing much of each other."

"When will you visit? Why do you have to go?"

"So many damn questions. Just be grateful for what I've given you. Maybe you should use your resourcefulness to find your way back home. There's nothing for you here anyway."

"There's you," Jin said with more determination than he thought he had.

"You have no one," Kazuya declared as he closed the door once again before the other could say anymore.

Jin looked down and gathered up the rest of the money that had been thrown at him; twenty-five dollars in total. He had no idea if it was a lot or not much at all and he also had no idea when Kazuya would be back to replenish his allowance. He dropped the money on the bed and noticed that the key card was there as well. This was where he would live. This was where he would change his fate. He laughed out loud at his grandiose thoughts. He couldn't even find a change of clothes let alone something as abstract as one's fate. Who was he kidding? The hopelessness of the situation weighed on him heavily. He crumbled down to the floor and found that he could not stop his tears from coming.

/

AN: The next chapter will probably be in Kazuya's POV since it'd be a little difficult to describe what he's thinking through Jin's eyes alone. Hopefully, I won't "slack off" again anytime soon. I seem to be on a roll. Stay tuned.


	14. Isolation

Chapter 14: Isolation

Kazuya woke up the next morning with more questions than answers and they all seemed to revolve around Jin's appearance. None of it made much sense to him. For weeks he had had on and off dreams about Jun and then of a child who he suspected was his son. There was no way to confirm it, of course, but he just had a feeling. Even so, it didn't prepare him for the moment when he would behold the very same child in real life and in an area he frequented when he wasn't otherwise preoccupied. He didn't know what to make of it; he didn't know how he should respond.

Then the door to his room opened and Kazuya looked up expectantly. No doubt it was the doctor checking in on him. Though he had made a full disclosure agreement with the institution, he had not told the doctor about the dreams nor did he plan to tell him about Jin. Such information seemed too personal to discuss even with a doctor who knew far too much about him anyway.

"Ah, Kazuya, my colleagues say you came in rather late. That would account for the grogginess you're experiencing now. May I inquire as to why you suddenly keep such late hours?"

"Maybe I wanted some fresh air," Kazuya responded without much forethought. It was the same answer he gave anytime he didn't feel like revealing his whereabouts and the doctor knew it.

"I only ask because I am concerned for your wellbeing. You may be able to move around on your own, but your body is still recovering from that accident of yours."

"Yes, the one where I was discarded into a volcano."

"This is not a laughing matter. You might have died if it weren't for our research team."

"I understand," Kazuya said with little interest. "You've mentioned that once or twice."

"And yet you continually put yourself in danger as if you don't care whether you live or die. Now, we put a lot of money into your recovery—

"Oh, you'll get your money's worth, doctor."

"We will, but only if you happen to be alive and in good health which you have yet to reach. I would suggest that you stay here for the day, for the week even so that you might recover faster, but I know how you simply can't resist having your 'fresh air'."

"Well, you do want me at full health. How can I be if I'm bored out of my mind?"

"Is that all it is? You want something to stimulate your mind."

"It's nothing you need to bother yourself with."

"When it's about you, then of course I should bother myself."

"What will you do, doctor?" Kazuya said finally climbing out of bed. "Bring out a 500-piece and ask me to waste my life putting it together?"

"Mr. Mishima, I'll not have you roaming about all over Nebraska. Can't you see that I at least have your best interest at heart? I don't see how any of this would work if you're constantly at odds with me. Are you even listening?"

His eyes seemed glazed over as he looked almost dispassionately out the partially open window across from him beside his bed.

"Kazuya?" the doctor asked cautiously. When he didn't get a response, he walked over to the other and placed a hand on each shoulder. "Kazuya, is there something more interesting outside?" he questioned while blocking the other's view.

Kazuya looked back up at him slowly. "What? What are you doing here?" he said it in a way that might have even convinced the doctor that it was a perfectly logical question to ask. Obviously, the man hadn't the foggiest clue why the other was even in the room.

"Kazuya," the doctor continued giving Kazuya a gentle but firm shake. "I mean it when I say you should rest. You are not fit to be out on your own even if you can move about."

"Doctor, take your hands off of me," Kazuya declared with sudden clarity. "I don't need your advice. I just need you to stay out of my way," he growled.

The doctor stepped back putting his hands up in a sign of truce. Kazuya was difficult to follow on the best of days and the doctor had simply grown used to his shifting moods.

"I was assigned the duty of making sure you recovered properly," the doctor said taking a more detached stance. "Allow me to fulfill that."

Kazuya simply glared at the other.

"Answer me this, Kazuya. Are you still having problems keeping your mind focused on one train of thought?"

The doctor knew when the other was like this—agitated—that he wouldn't get much out of him, but it was worth a try. To his surprise, he watched as Kazuya actually considered this question.

"It comes and goes. _You're_ the doctor. How exactly do you plan on fixing that?"

"There's a lot about the human mind that even we scientists don't understand, but there's clearly a correlation between your physical and mental health."

"You've made your point, doctor. You want me to stay put. I understand."

"Good. Then let's see what we can do about that 500-piece you mentioned before," the doctor joked.

Kazuya frowned at the other and then laid back on his bed perhaps to signify to the doctor that he wasn't going anywhere.

"We'll run some tests later, alright, Mr. Mishima?"

Kazuya gave the other a barely perceptible nod before the doctor left promptly finally satisfied with his visit. It took him a moment, an embarrassingly long moment to figure out again why he had wanted to leave in the first place. Then he adopted an annoyed expression. Not only did that take far too long to understand, Jin was no more than a couple of blocks away. Had he run through all the money he had given him? Had he been smart enough to keep to himself if he ever left the building? _Was he alright?_, Kazuya found himself thinking. It was then that he sat up again. The concept of worrying about another's wellbeing seemed foreign. He knew, though, that he wasn't really worried, not in the traditional sense. It didn't exactly prompt him to do anything and he knew he was missing some part of the puzzle. Common sense dictated that now he should go over to see if the other was fine in order to alleviate…what? What exactly would that do for him? If Jin was fine, what then? If Jin was somehow hurt, how should he respond? He grumbled to himself and laid back down again. Such line of thinking seemed tedious and ridiculous. The answers were obvious, but it seemed he was not privy to them—a frustrating fact.

Just as suddenly as his thoughts had achieved the kind of clarity that he long sought for, they would become muddled again and nothing ever really seemed to make sense. He thought of Jin and then wondered if it was a good idea to have him see him like this. Not that it mattered. Or did it actually matter? But why should it matter if it did?

He became distracted from his own confusing thoughts when the door to his room opened again. The smell of food hit him immediately.

"Breakfast," the older lady said simply.

Kazuya would not have put it passed the doctor to have instructed all the other employees who dealt with Kazuya on a normal basis to only speak in simple words. Kazuya, with no lack of trying, couldn't get anyone to speak a full sentence. It was not only annoying but insulting. Did the doctor think him so daft as to lack the _ability_ to respond to people correctly? He could at least carry on conversations…if his mind did not wander. Like last night with Jin. It was perhaps the longest he had spoken with someone besides the doctor—it was comforting.

"What do you have?" Kazuya asked the other testing the waters.

"Pancakes. Ham. Eggs."

Kazuya stared at the other with obvious irritation.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry," the woman said a little startled as she quickly rolled in the cart and completely intended to leave just as quickly.

"Miss, would you mind telling me what kind of eggs? How did you cook the ham?—was it fried, baked, boiled? And what of those pancakes? Is it simply plain? Is there syrup, what kind?"

"Sorry," the woman mumbled still making her way towards the door after turning back around.

"Are you missing your favorite show or something? Why must you rush out?"

"Sorry," she repeated.

Soon Kazuya was left to himself with only the food keeping him company. It seemed obvious. The doctor _must_ have told his staff to keep conversation to a minimum. Most waitresses he had ever experienced didn't mind discussing how things were made especially if the customer was interested. At least the food _tasted_ good. As he ate it, he wondered if Jin had managed to buy some food for himself. But why should it matter? Yet his thoughts kept drifting back to him with little provocation. Was he lonely? Would he be alright on his own? Such questions held almost no meaning to them but that didn't stop them from being asked.

The only thing he had left to look forward to were the tests which soon preoccupied his thoughts completely. The doctor would graciously explain all the results as exhaustingly as needed and in those moments, Kazuya would learn more about himself than he ever imagined was possible—at least in a physical sense. The doctor must have known it as well—that Kazuya was far more interested in himself than anyone else.

/

Jin woke up the next day practically starving and his stomach growled quite loudly. He took the money out of his pocket once again and stared down at it. There was no way of telling what he could buy with it, but he knew that he at least needed to try and use it.

Last night, he hadn't even left the room. Everyone spoke a foreign language. How could he ever find what he was looking for? He felt isolated from the world and at that moment too afraid to do anything about it. He thought he might wait for his father even if deep down the likelihood of him appearing again seemed abysmal. The finality of his last statement before he left, bore down on him for the majority of the night. Was there no one? Would he be forced to fend for himself?

His growling stomach gave him the kind of courage that he thought was lost to him. He couldn't even begin to think of what to do about his situation until he found some food. So with this, he finally exited the small hotel and walked down the sidewalk. Even if he couldn't read the signs, he could at least smell where food was cooking. Instead of sensing it, however, he used his common sense as he came upon a gas station. Places like those always sold cheap food. When he walked in, he looked for the one food item that his mother—at least the one from his dreams—had gotten for him from the gas station: ramen. He began to doubt he would see as much here in such a foreign place, but eventually he noticed similar packaging; bright and orange. He took one and then on second thought took two more and made his way to the cash register in the front.

The cashier said something quickly and Jin simply laid his items on the counter. The woman rung them up just as quickly and then looked down at the boy expectantly. Jin took this as his cue and laid down all twenty-five of the dollars and gave her a questioning look. The woman without further comment, pushed the twenty back towards the other and took the five, opening the cash register promptly with a ring. Soon Jin was being handed a few dollars and strange coins. The woman said something else before placing all the food items in a bag and handing it over to Jin. The only thing he could think to do was smile politely.

"Not from around here, are you?" the woman said before Jin took his leave.

Jin turned to her a little surprised. He had understood every word. "No…" Jin answered cautiously.

"Japan?" the woman inquired.

Jin nodded.

"My family's second generation immigrants." The woman paused for a moment before trying to decide how she should say the next sentence. "My name's Gina. What's yours?"

"Jin."

"Well, Jin, seeing as you're new around here, you might not know—kids your age are in school."

Jin simply looked at the other, unsure of what she meant.

"Tch, don't tell me I said it wrong. Do you know what I'm saying?"

"I understand," Jin finally said.

"Kids go to school here and you're at that age. Better not let the police see you."

"Okay," Jin replied understanding at least that getting caught by the police would be extremely inconvenient.

"Tell your parents, alright?" the woman said seriously.

Jin nodded then and decided to make his exit before the lady decided to have a full on conversation with him. It was then that he began to realize the precarious situation he was in. He had, for all intent and purposes, ran away from home, so at the moment he had no mom. His father, well, Jin hadn't the slightest clue where he was and if he was ever going to see him again. He felt more like an orphan even worse he felt like a complete idiot for rashly following a dream that could, for all he knew, hold little truth in it. Even if it did feel real and the people in it actually did exist, that should not have been enough to send him off on such a journey. He began to wonder what his mom must have gone through finding her son once again not there. How lonely she must have felt. She could still be there right now crying and there was no one to hear. They were all isolated, he realized. They were all absent from each others' lives. It seemed the more he tried to bring them together, the further apart they became.

Despondently, Jin trudged all the way back to the rundown hotel and settled down into his room. He looked down at his money and realized that it appeared he had more of it than before, but he knew better. At least, his rational mind knew better. It was quite impossible to have bought something and end up with more money than he began with. No, he must have had less. He knew he had to ration it, but he had no idea how to do so if he didn't understand prices or the amount that he had. He sighed exasperatedly to himself. Perhaps he should've asked that lady at the cash register—she seemed all too happy to speak to him in his native tongue. Perhaps he might do it tomorrow.

He felt quite unsafe leaving the premises especially when now he was aware that the police might take him in. He wondered if children his age always went to school. Was it an all-day affair or was it just part of the day? And did they go every single day of the week? Who knew when it would be safe to go out there? Jin knew the food would probably last him for maybe one day—two days if he was pushing it. In the end, he knew he would simply have to take his chances.

But how long was he going to live like this? Somehow, he felt that it would be impossible for him to make his way home on the same kind of supernatural luck that had made it possible to reach here. He was trapped for lack of a better word. Unless his father came back for him, he would be doomed to stay here and perhaps starve, his trip ending in utter failure.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Jin said to himself, "I thought I knew what I was doing…"

/

The next day, Jin found himself looking up at the darkened ceiling. As the sun began rising, Jin's eyes took in all the discoloration on the ceiling and all the funny shapes it had left behind. He wondered where the stains might have come from. Could rain have been responsible for all of it? With bored eyes, Jin continued to stare. He waited and waited for a plan to form in his mind, but nothing came. What was he supposed to do now? Should he start panicking now or tomorrow? Jin shook his head. He didn't even have the energy to do as much. The thought of leaving the room today didn't seem like a good idea, but how else was he going to find Kazuya?

For the millionth time, Jin wondered if he should go out searching for his father. For some reason, he had no doubt that such activities would wind up being a complete waste of energy. Besides, if he stayed here, Kazuya would know exactly where he was. If he left, neither one of them would know where the other was. Using that reasoning, the only thing Jin _could_ do was sit there quietly.

In the end, Jin found himself waiting and waiting. Any small noise would draw Jin's eyes to the door. Several times that day he heard people walking by and each time Jin's hope had gone up only to be dashed just as quickly. He closed his eyes imagining what his father's footsteps would sound like. It would have to be self-assured and heavy. His father always seemed to know what he wanted and he always seemed quite sure of himself—at least, that's the person that he remembered from his dreams. None of the footsteps that went passed his room that day sounded anything like this. Some were light and awkward, others were heavy and hesitant. Many of them were women who clicked by at a steady but hurried pace.

Half the day passed and nothing interesting had occurred. Jin climbed out of bed and went to his window to look outside, but his view was that of a dilapidated brick building next door. It was littered with various graffiti. He only understood the images. Most of them were far too lewd to put words to. Jin took longer than he thought he would examining each and every one of them. He imagined his mother would be horrified to catch him doing such things, but he couldn't deny that whoever had taken the time to place it there must have had some artistic talent. It was difficult to draw his eyes away from it, but soon he grew bored with the whole thing and closed his window. He climbed back on his bed too afraid to lie down on the floor. Who knew if the bed was any cleaner? At least he could imagine that it was.

He was looking at the ceiling again and closed his eyes as the strange images on the ceiling began to dance in his vision. He curled his body when he felt the beginnings of hunger pangs. He had already gone through his food and he didn't want to go out when it was already evening. He tried to concentrate on something other than his hunger but decided that it was impossible. He had already exhausted his mind on all other problems in his life at the moment.

How long would it be like this? How long would he wait? Would he simply wither away in the darkness? Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would have to do _something_ or drive himself crazy doing absolutely nothing.

He became dizzy with hunger the more he began to dwell on the feeling. When the door to his room opened, he heard none of it and he was turned away from it in the first place. He only looked up when he heard the door click after it closed. Jin sat up far too quickly as his world swam in his vision and he paused for everything to return back to normal.

"Father!" Jin exclaimed excitedly.

"What did I tell you about calling me that," the other snapped.

"Sorry," Jin muttered quietly.

The room was increasingly dark. Jin could barely make out the other's form.

"You aren't planning on running away from me, are you?"

Jin blinked twice. "No. Why would I?"

"It was just…something from before."

When Jin heard the other's footsteps, he noticed that they lacked the self-assuredness that he remembered. He was different now, very different. When he was closer, Jin could make out the shape of his face. He felt as his bed took on more weight when the other sat down beside him.

"Will you speak with me then?" Kazuya asked.

"Of course," Jin answered enthusiastically. He wondered what he would say next and then decided on keeping it simple. "How was your day?"

"You really want to know how my day was like?" he asked with genuine seriousness.

Jin nodded then realized that the other might not be able to see it. "Yes. I really don't know anything about you. I don't even know where you live."

"Fine," the other replied.

Then Kazuya started from the beginning. He discussed how his morning was spent with the doctor checking in on him. When Jin asked what the doctor's name was, Kazuya simply shrugged. When Jin then asked why he lived in a hospital, Kazuya coldly told the other to stop interrupting and that it wasn't a hospital but a research facility. Though Jin had desperately wanted to ask what possible reason he was in such a place, he kept his mouth shut. Kazuya then continued explaining that he was told to rest due to the injuries he had sustained after a certain incident that he would not go into. Later, how he spent the afternoon going through multiple tests that Kazuya refused to disclose what they were specifically. Kazuya ended saying how infuriatingly uneventful it all was. Jin thought for a moment that Kazuya would then ask how his day was, but he never did.

"What made you decide to come?" Jin asked, "How come today and not yesterday?"

"Does it matter? I wondered about you. I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"You're not allowed to leave, are you? You snuck out of that place just to come visit me."

"Stop making assumptions. I can do whatever I please. I just wanted to see if you were alright here on your own."

Jin thought he had heard concern in the other's voice, but he wondered if he had just imagined it.

"Will you answer my questions? I can't seem to get them out of my head," Kazuya said.

It was an odd request, but then Kazuya hadn't sounded like himself since he had first walked in that evening.

"Alright," Jin said simply a bit mystified.

"Have you run through all the money I gave you?"

"Um, no. I still have some, but I don't know how much I have left."

"Let me see," Kazuya commanded the other.

Jin took the money and spread it out on the bed. He watched as Kazuya counted it to himself.

"You have enough left for a few more days," he declared. "I'll give you more in a couple of days."

Jin could only nod to the other.

"Have you kept to yourself when you left the building?"

"Yes. Am I supposed to be in school? Can the police lock me up if they see me?"

"Don't go out in the mornings or afternoons. The evenings should be safe and the weekends."

Jin nodded again.

"Are you…alright?"

This time Jin wasn't so quick to answer. "S-sure. I mean…Will you keep visiting?"

"Depends," Kazuya responded distantly as if he were somewhere else altogether.

"On what?" Jin pressured the other.

"I don't know," he answered exasperatedly. "I don't even know why I came here."

"Because you were worried about me," Jin said matter-of-factly.

"I wasn't. I know for a fact I wasn't."

"What are you talking about?"

"I wasn't worried about you in the slightest. I just wanted to speak with you."

"I don't understand," Jin said shaking his head.

"I don't know how else to say it."

"Well, I don't get it."

"I have to go."

"Right now?"

"Yes now or else I wouldn't have said it."

"But you haven't told me when you're gonna' come see me again."

"I don't know."

"That's not good enough!" Jin shouted finally becoming frustrated.

"It will have to be good enough. I'm leaving," Kazuya said simply as he stood up.

"Wait! You can't just leave," Jin exclaimed as if it were out of the question.

"Will you quiet yourself down? You'll wake everyone up with all that noise."

"Then give me a straight answer," Jin demanded.

"I…can't. I just don't know."

Jin's eyebrows furrowed at this. "What the hell is wrong with you anyway? You can't even answer simple questions properly and all you want to do is talk about yourself and then tell me to shut-up when I want to know something more. Who _are_ you?"

"I'm Kazuya Mishima," he declared angrily, "I can barely recall what I did two days ago and now I'm just going off gut feeling that you are what you say you are. I mean, you _look _like you could be my son, but I just don't know. I don't know much of anything really other than that. And I don't care to hear that tone from you."

Jin was taken aback from his sudden outburst. He started to say something but then stopped himself.

"I'm leaving," Kazuya said repeating himself.

"Kazuya…let me help you. I don't know what happened to you, maybe you'll tell me eventually, but I want to help you."

Kazuya paused when he made it to the door. "I'll come…tomorrow," he said finally making a decision.

/

AN: Jin, looks like there's finally some progress although it can only go so far with a soul as fractured as Kazuya's. Stay tuned.


	15. Nightly Visit

Chapter 15: Nightly Visit

Jin thought for sure that Kazuya would come back as he said he would, but the longer Jin waited that night the more he began to doubt. Just as time crept into the early hours of the morning, the door to his room opened once more and Jin nearly leaped off of his bed in excitement, but he restrained himself. He didn't want to scare him off. Besides, who knew how Kazuya might respond to such a thing?

"You're late," Jin declared to the other.

"I wasn't aware of the time," he answered back almost solemnly.

And Jin wondered if that might have been the actual truth.

"Well, you're here now," Jin said letting such things become water under the bridge. "Tell me about your day."

Jin had thought about what he might say to the other for the entire day and this ended up being the least intrusive. Besides, Jin had little else to discuss with him or rather there was little else he could get Kazuya to talk about.

Kazuya simply stood there for a moment perhaps contemplating how he might answer but then moved on to something completely different. "It's rather dark in here. Come outside with me."

"A-alright," Jin replied once again caught off guard.

Jin climbed off the bed and followed his father out of the hotel. It was a nice change of pace, Jin realized. He hadn't so much as stepped outside for at least an entire day perhaps longer. Jin came to walk beside the other and soon looked over at him waiting for him to say anything else. He was taller than what Jin had known him to be in his dreams. It made him feel quite small in his presence.

"I assume you must have been living with your mother before," Kazuya finally said not bothering to look down at the other.

"Yes," Jin responded looking downward.

"I wonder how she must feel now that you've run away from home."

"Oh…I didn't run away from home…"

"So she's completely fine with you being here on your own. Did she pay your way or something?"

Jin glanced over at him. "No, she didn't."

"Then how—

"Does it matter?" Jin asked becoming annoyed by this line of questioning. "I'm here now and there's nothing either of us can do about it."

"No, I suppose there's not. But what did you hope to accomplish anyway?"

Now it was Jin's turn to become silent and he suddenly felt Kazuya's gaze on him. "It's my business what I want to do here. You have your secrets and I'll keep mine."

Jin hardly noticed when the other stopped keeping pace with him altogether. When he did, Jin found himself walking back towards him. This time, Jin met his gaze. He wasn't about to apologize for anything that he had said.

"I don't keep secrets," Kazuya said earnestly. "That's not my way. I'm just not one for telling overly long stories."

"So that's your excuse?" Jin questioned deciding not to back down.

"If that's what you want to call it. Let's keep moving," Kazuya said walking passed the other.

Jin kept up pace once again. "And what would you call it then?"

"I don't _know_ everything myself. I can hardly make sense of things."

"Then why not start from the beginning. Mom told me you were in this tournament."

"I was?" Kazuya asked with genuine curiosity.

"Mom wouldn't lie about that. You were in a tournament along with your father."

"Yes, my father," Kazuya began slowly. "Yes, I was in a tournament. No, I think I had arranged for that tournament—or was that me? But I'm pretty sure there _was_ a tournament."

"Wait, slow down; was there or wasn't there a tournament?"

"I suppose. Let me think for a moment."

Jin kept walking beside him and whenever he looked at the other he seemed quite deep in thought. Was it really that difficult for him to remember something as major as a tournament? What exactly happened there? His mother had hardly wanted to speak of it and Kazuya seemed hard-pressed to divulge him any further.

They came upon a park; the very same park that Jin had first found Kazuya. Eventually, they made it to a bench and they both sat down.

"Well?" Jin asked growing a bit impatient.

Kazuya leaned back on the bench and closed his eyes. "The King of Iron Fist Tournament—that's what it was called. It was a name my father had come up with before. I'd decided I would resurrect it. I don't know why. No, that's a lie. I was being manipulated by some other force far more powerful than me—I remember that much. But the events were already set in motion. I knew I would have to fight. That's the way I had wanted it. Then again, the lines become so blurred. Who knows how much of it was my idea or the 'other's'?"

"Wasn't Mom there?" Jin asked interrupting the other unable to help himself.

"She was," he answered much to Jin's surprise. "She was there with child and she begged me to abandon my fool plan. Sitting here right now, I can say that obviously I should have listened to her, but at that moment, I couldn't see any other way."

"What plan?" Jin asked desperately trying not to get lost in his story. "What 'way' are you talking about?"

Kazuya adopted an annoyed expression but then answered. "My plan to finally be rid of this Devil—the one that's haunted me since I was a child, younger than what you are now. Only I could hear its voice. Only I knew what terrors it had in store not just for me but the entire world. Surely, if I was destroyed then whatever 'it' wanted would come to naught—to hell to whomever I was leaving behind."

"How can you even say that?" Jin asked standing up abruptly. "Couldn't you have found another way? What's the point of dying if _nothing_ gets solved? You're still here, by the way. Guess even your tournament didn't work. And what are you doing at that research facility? Trying to figure out how best to die?"

"You're right, nothing was solved," Kazuya said, strangely unperturbed by the other's outburst. "All that sacrifice for nothing."

"You still haven't told me why you live in a hospital."

"It's _not_ a hospital."

"Yes, I know," Jin said exasperatedly.

"I was 'damaged' after that tournament," Kazuya said slowly.

"But you're still alive and well enough," Jin interrupted the other.

"Alive? Sure. Well? That's a different matter. I may not have died outright, but I was very nearly finished. In fact, had they—G Corporation—not found my body I wouldn't be here now. At first, I resented every waking minute of my recovery knowing that if I lived then all that I had worked for had come to nothing. But then they promised me something."

"And what could they have promised you that Mom couldn't?" Jin asked when Kazuya didn't explain any further.

"They promised me that if I allowed them to do their tests on me, then I would gain control over my life again, that I would be able to manage this Devil Gene—that's what they called it."

Jin stared at the other in disbelief. "Have you completely lost your mind?!"

"_This_ is why I didn't want to tell you everything. How did I know that you you'd react this way?"

"You wanted me to congratulate you? It's like one bad decision after the other for you, isn't it?"

"You wouldn't understand," Kazuya replied stolidly.

"Oh, I understand perfectly now."

Kazuya gave the other one of his patronizing looks. "Do you now? You think you understand things perfectly. You, a child who's in over his head, who'd probably starve to death if he hadn't found me soon enough. There's no way for me to live any sort of normal life if Devil is there every step of the way. None. G Corporation has given me a way out."

"You trust those people with your life. What have they done for you?"

"They saved me from certain death."

"Yes! But on a whim! Don't you think if Mom knew where you were she would have come searching for you? She came to the tournament and I'm sure you told her not to. In fact, you made it a point not to tell her anything about where you were."

"Jin, I'm sure you think your mother can do anything—

"Stop treating me like a child!"

"You _are_ a child!" Kazuya yelled back finally letting his anger show.

"Well, I don't think Mom can do everything. If that were the case, I would not have come here on my own. It's just…G Corporation? Really?"

Kazuya paused before he said anything else and took a deep breath. "I wanted her to be safe. I couldn't keep involving her in all my problems. It's better this way. You need to go back home. You need to forget about me."

Jin turned from him then. "And you honestly believe everything you're saying. I don't think you'll find what you're looking for at that hospital."

"My own son wishing me ill—I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing I feel like getting into tonight," Kazuya replied with a yawn.

"Wait a minute…your father; he tried to kill you," Jin said as if it was the first time he had realized this.

Jin could only glimpse at the larger picture. He knew almost nothing about Kazuya's family, but he knew that it had some connection with what was happening now.

"Yes, he did—it's no big secret. In fact, to the rest of the world, he did kill me with no legal repercussions; the sneaky bastard."

"But Mom said he tried to cover it all up."

"The only thing he was trying to cover up is how he got rid of me. It was alright if he defeated me at the tournament; it's _not_ alright to throw said person into a volcano to burn to death."

Jin could scarcely wrap his mind around it all. What kind of man could do that? "I don't understand…Why did he…?"

"It's not for you to understand. It certainly isn't worth wasting brainpower over. Anyways, I think I see now your motives. You see what looks like a problem and you want to fix it. You want me to go back with you, back to Jun."

Jin could hardly dispute him so he kept his mouth shut.

"Have you considered how Jun might react if I one day out of nowhere showed up on her doorstep?"

"She'd…She'd welcome you."

"Is that so?" Kazuya said with a grin. "Boy, you have a lot to learn about women."

Jin looked at him with a confused expression.

"I imagine Jun keeps you quite sheltered."

Jin could only nod.

"For good reason, I suppose. Come it's getting late."

"Late? It's only—

"Getting on to 3 in the morning. You might be able to stay up all hours of the night. I, on the other hand, cannot."

Kazuya stood up then and began to make his way back to the hotel with Jin in tow. They spoke very little. Though Jin still had some questions, he could tell the other was tired and probably irritable. Kazuya took him as far as the front door of the building.

"So you're off to that hospital again, right?" Jin asked.

"Do I have to keep reminding you?—it's not a hospital."

"I know. It's just easier to say. Besides, you said you were recovering there."

"I am."

"Well, I hope you get better."

Kazuya said nothing to this and Jin hurried inside. Jin waited for a few minutes and then crept back outside. He could still make out Kazuya in the distance. It was obvious to Jin that the other was in no hurry. Bending down behind a lamppost, Jin made a decision right then and there that he would follow him.

/

AN: Smart move, Jin. Let's hope it doesn't backfire. Stay tuned everyone!


	16. The Research Facility

Chapter 16: The Research Facility

Jin found that following Kazuya while keeping a safe distance to be ridiculously easy. Jin had imagined that Kazuya would be constantly looking behind himself, but he did nothing of the sort. In fact, he seemed completely at ease. The distance wasn't too far; a couple of blocks at the most. He couldn't believe how close everything was. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. It wasn't as if Jin had ever seen the other driving. Kazuya had been able to walk to the park and to the hotel. Everything would have had to be within walking distance.

The building was quite unimpressive up close. It was just bigger than the hotel that he stayed at and had only one floor. There was only one light in the entire front side of the building that shined on the heavy, metallic sign that read "G Corporation" on the front lawn. Jin watched as Kazuya strolled right in through the front. He had a key, Jin realized, as if he owned the place. He watched from a distance as the other locked it from the other side and then sighed. At least he knew where to go when the place opened back up again. Jin quickly made his way back to the hotel and caught as much sleep as his anticipation could manage for the remainder of the night.

/

It was the weekend so he didn't have to wait until the evening to go outside. After grabbing some breakfast which consisted of more ramen, he made his way back to the small research facility. For the longest time, Jin simply stood watching the front door. Would a place like this even have a front lobby? There wasn't much traffic going in and out of the place. The parking lot had few cars in it. Jin's eyes narrowed. He didn't trust any of it. How could his father trust them with his life? He could hardly imagine his father agreeing to such a thing. He must have been desperate. That was the only conclusion he could make.

He thought he might go inside sooner or later, but then he decided it might be better to scope out the place for a while, seeing if anyone ever came or went. He came to sit behind a large tree on the opposite side of the street where the building was. Nothing happened three hours straight and Jin began to doze lightly. He woke up in time to see a large man in a white coat light up a cigarette.

"A doctor who smokes," Jin said to himself.

The man didn't simply stop with just one. He winded up puffing through at least three of them before stepping back inside. Jin waited longer for anything more. He saw a few women walk in with hurried paces. Obviously, they worked there. They all had on the same navy blue uniform. Nurses, cooks, perhaps, Jin thought. He saw other men in white coats step out every now and then and leave in their cars. They must have arrived there quite early in the day.

Jin wondered what they might be researching if this was a place dedicated to it. He hadn't seen any indication of it. He only knew of them through the research he had done at the library back in Japan. They were simply Mishima Zaibatsu's biggest competitor, always trying to one up the other. It was ironic how an heir to the very corporation they worked against sought their help. Perhaps that was what didn't sit right with Jin. He was sure G Corporation knew exactly who his father was and they seemed to be helping him unconditionally. Did Kazuya see the conflict of interest as well? Was he using that to benefit himself?

Jin found himself dozing again when nothing more happened. He roused himself near the end of the day at least the end of a typical workday and eventually saw the large man again this time leaving for good. Jin knew it would be foolish to assume that this was the man in charge of things simply because he was larger than the others, but he couldn't help it. Then he watched the man lock the front door which miraculously confirmed Jin's suspicions. Should he run up to the man? Should he demand that he tell him what he was doing to his father?—ask him what it is they were researching? Jin soon settled himself down again. There'd be no point in doing such a thing. He didn't know enough to even begin interrogating the man. How was he ever going to know enough to convince his father that this place wasn't the answer? Jin stood up then and returned to his room. Perhaps tomorrow he might do more.

/

Jin spent the next few days waiting and watching. He always saw the same large man in a white coat and eventually he began to get an idea of how many people worked there. He counted ten at the most including the cooks and nurses—if that's what they were. Still, he had no idea what he might do with such information. It wasn't as if he knew where his father was exactly in the building. If he were to go in there now, he'd be walking around blindly. He'd sooner get caught by one of the white coats and kicked out before he made it as far as his father.

He'd have to think of something, anything to further his plans even if his father knew already what he wanted. Jin had remembered that he had been in this situation before back in his dreams. None of his plans had ever worked the way he wanted them to. His father always seemed to be a step ahead of him without even trying, perhaps even without knowing. Fate had a funny way of ruining his plans. Jin had been unable to separate his mother from her ultimate fate. Now he found himself picking up the pieces of a life long abandoned. They both lived so far away from each other as if they had instinctively been running away trying to keep out of each other's hair.

He began to wonder if they still even liked each other in the same way as before. If that wasn't the case…then Jin was already fighting a losing battle. He was no expert in love. In fact, he didn't quite understand the kind of love that Jun and Kazuya had shared, but he did know that it had to exist if there was any hope of them getting back together. He wished he knew for certain what they both thought of each other. It was clear to Jin that his mother at least missed his presence, but was that enough. Was _that_ love? Missing someone? Did Kazuya feel the same? Did he ever spend nights wanting to see Jun again, perhaps even shedding a tear? Jin shook his head at the image. No, he couldn't imagine his father doing such a thing. He usually kept his private thoughts under wraps so that no one could see. Only Jun could see through his façade, not him. He'd just have to ask him outright, maybe slip in the question when he least suspect it so that he might accidently tell him. Jin doubted he could be so clever. Besides, if Kazuya didn't want to speak about something, he wouldn't.

Tomorrow he _would_ enter the facility. He'd go in the evening when no one ever seemed to step outside for a break. That must be when they were most occupied.

/

"Your recovery is going quite smoothly," the doctor said to the other walking into Kazuya's room unannounced as usual.

He found the other resting just as he had requested days ago. He had made his voice loud to alert the other of his presence and soon Kazuya was sitting up waiting for the other to continue.

"In a few days' time, you should be well enough to go through the rigorous tests we have prepared for you. Then we can finally begin analyzing that Devil Gene of yours."

"You sound very excited about the prospects," Kazuya said wearily.

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm a scientist after all. I like making new discoveries. I'm just glad you decided to trust us with it."

"And what do you plan to do with the information you gather?"

"Better humanity as a whole, of course. That is my mission in life, Mr. Mishima. Now you wouldn't be having second thoughts about this, would you?"

"No," Kazuya said looking down, "I already agreed to it. I've decided that this is the best way."

"Good," the doctor said with a pleasant smile. "Alright, I'll leave you to your much needed rest." And he took his usual abrupt exit.

Kazuya watched the door close and then lied back down again. Curse that child; he hadn't been more doubtful about his choice, about anything in his life until now. Children usually had a sixth sense when it came to trusting someone, but that didn't mean he'd simply agree with some kid's opinion about the whole thing. Did he even trust that doctor to be allowing him full access to his body? It was all pleasant smiles and condescending tones with that doctor. He hadn't led him astray thus far, but then it wasn't in his interest to do such a thing. That was really all he was banking on—self-interest.

He hadn't visited Jin in a while and Kazuya found to his surprise that he had sorely missed it. But lately he had found that his energy was lacking and his wounds beginning to bother him more so than usual. When he told Jin about how his day had went, he instinctively left out the part when they would have to change his bandages. They covered his arms and upper torso for the most part which was easy enough to hide with a long sleeve shirt which he always wore. The doctor was being truthful when he stated that his recovery was coming along smoothly. There was less bandages each day. Even so, he was still in constant pain, but it was tolerable. Tolerable, at least, until a few days ago.

That was when Kazuya became suspicious. The loss of energy, the increase in pain—had the doctor been responsible? Couldn't he have given him placebo pills instead of the ones that truly kept the pain at bay? Couldn't he have put something in his food that robbed him of his energy? All the doctor would ever speak about was how he should rest more. Maybe the doctor had finally gotten fed up with his nightly escapades. The key that he kept with him had been obtained by illegal means. The doctor didn't exactly know that he had it—or did he?

He wondered if he had any grounds for being suspicious. Maybe he was putting more stock in what the child had said to him than he realized. The doctor would ask how he was doing and Kazuya wouldn't even mention the changes that had kept him bedridden.

He'd be fine, he told himself. Even if there was some foul play, it wouldn't be in the doctor's interest to get rid of him—he simply wanted him to rest more so he did. He didn't have the energy to do much more. Still there was Jin…What could he be doing right now? Somehow, Kazuya couldn't imagine the other doing normal "kid" things like playing outside. No, Jin, had a knack for putting his nose where it shouldn't be. That was why he was here now getting involved with things he shouldn't. In fact, the most logical thing he could be doing right now was getting himself into more trouble which…didn't sit right with him. Shouldn't there be someone watching out for him?

Just then, he heard the door to his room open. It wouldn't make sense for the doctor to be visiting again so soon. Besides, if it was the doctor he would have said something already. Too tired to go and see just who it was, he kept his eyes closed. It was probably one of the nurses messing around with the clipboard they had on the far wall. Kazuya could never be sure what they wrote on that thing and he had never bothered to check it. He was turned to his side—the only mildly comfortable position he could find.

His ears waited for the usual sound of flipping paper, but it never came. Instead, he heard the footsteps moving closer and softly as if sneaking. A nurse trying to be silent?—they were never that conscientious. Finally, when his curiosity reached its peak, he began to sit up, but he knew even before he reached a sitting position that it was Jin.

"Jin?" Kazuya said with marked astonishment.

Jin froze where he was. He seemed out of place there. This was not a place a child should have been.

"Hi," Jin said as innocently as possible.

He must have sensed that he was in trouble. In fact, Kazuya could see the look of fear in his eyes. It was something that Kazuya had seen before and he had never liked. The thought that his son could be afraid of him was disconcerting. He had always been afraid of his own father and rightly so. His father was capable of great evil. He wondered if he had looked like that, the way Jin looked at him then. Instead of bursting in anger, he decided that it might be better to curb it for the time being.

"What are you doing here?" Kazuya asked as calmly as he could muster. He saw the other relax a little.

"I wanted to see you," he said, keeping his voice low.

"So you decided it'd be a good idea to coming sneaking into a place like this?" Kazuya said with a slight edge, but then regretted it when he saw the fear return to the other's face. "I haven't told them about you for good reason," he continued with a calmer tone.

"Because you don't trust them?" Jin suggested.

Then Kazuya sighed, "This has nothing to do with trust."

"You're gonna' let them do whatever they want to you and you're okay with that?"

Kazuya noticed that the other had relaxed completely, but then it was always like that when Jin was given the chance to speak his mind. "Is this what you came to do? Convince me that I'm making a huge mistake?"

"Well, I guess I can't hide anything from you. Yes, that's what I came here for. And how can trust have nothing to do with it? It has _everything_ to do with it."

"I know what I'm doing, kid. If you're concerned for my life, don't be. It wouldn't be in their best interest to just kill me off not after they went through all the trouble of reviving me in the first place. They saw something that they wanted and I doubt that want is any less now."

Kazuya could see that there were a million thoughts going through the other's mind. He gave off every sign of being indecisive. _Too young to be concerning himself with my problems._ It took him a moment to respond.

"You still didn't answer my question. Do you trust them or not?"

"What does it matter?"

"I just want an answer."

"You want to hear me say it then? No, I don't trust them not in the slightest." When he said it out loud, Kazuya realized what Jin had been trying to get at. If you don't trust them, then why are you putting your life in their hands? He could practically see the words forming in his mind.

"Then why are you letting them do all this to you? Why are you putting your life in their hands?"

Why indeed, Kazuya thought to himself. He could see the look of silent triumph in the other's eyes probably patting himself on the back for finally saying the right words. "Jin, I think you should leave." He knew almost immediately that his command wouldn't have the desired effect on the other. He was stubborn now—it was written all over his face.

"No," Jin retorted. "Not unless you leave with me."

"You want to give me an ultimatum, boy?"

For once, Kazuya wasn't completely disturbed at seeing a hint a fear in the other's features. Perhaps he might leave.

"You haven't given me a good reason why I shouldn't just drag you out of this place myself."

Even with his fear he could still make claims like this as if he were in control of the entire situation. Kazuya was impressed.

"You couldn't drag me out even if you tried your utmost," Kazuya replied confidently even though he knew he was lying. At the moment, Kazuya wouldn't have been able to put up as much resistance as he liked for fear of passing out altogether. Jin hadn't the slightest clue how weakened his condition was and Kazuya wanted it to stay that way. As long as he appeared confident and strong, the boy wouldn't even attempt doing such a thing. He saw the hesitation in the others' eyes, but only a little.

"Why haven't you come to visit me?" Jin asked seemingly on another topic altogether. Kazuya was relieved.

"Is it a crime not to come see you every single night?" Kazuya didn't quite see where Jin was headed with this and he didn't like the mischievous glint in his eyes.

"No, I guess not. But why haven't you so much as left the building in the past three days?"

"And what makes you so certain of that?"

"I watched. I staked this place and never saw you leave."

"So _that's_ what you do with your free time? Stare at buildings." Still, Kazuya was beginning to see where this was going and it made him a bit nervous. Of course he hadn't been doing normal "kid" things. Staking out a building for three days straight?—sure, that had Jin's name written all over it.

"I do what I have to. Tell me, why didn't you feel the need to ever leave?"

"Do I have to have a reason for everything I do," Kazuya replied hoping to divert the other. It was only a weak attempt and Jin wasn't going for it.

"You told me how boring it was here. You told me you like to go to that park when you're not doing anything."

"Perhaps I was otherwise occupied," Kazuya said back.

"The doctor wants you to rest—I heard him. So you don't have anything to do."

Kazuya frowned at the other. Eavesdropping on conversations? That also had Jin's name written all over it. In fact, anything a kid shouldn't be doing was fair game. "Well then, maybe I was simply resting."

"I think you're too weak to do anything else. You said you were recovering so you couldn't be at full health."

"And what if I am? What are you going to do about it? Do you think I'm fit to even go travelling to God knows where with you to some remote, forgotten corner of the world?" Kazuya couldn't believe he was actually trying to convince the other that going back to his home was impossible. It was the only ammunition he had left. As if he had even been considering doing as much. In all reality, if Jin was determined enough—he _could_ drag him out perhaps even find some way of getting back home. It sounded ludicrous but it was beginning to sound more and more like a possibility if he didn't convince the other to back off.

"It's not remote," Jin argued.

"No, only a place with no hint of urban society in general—that is if that dream was correct about you. What does it matter anyway? I'm not leaving with you. It's completely out of the question," Kazuya said in a tone that he hoped told the other that he thought the whole scheme preposterous.

"You're afraid, aren't you?" Jin accused of the other.

"And you're just stumbling your way through the dark. I made my decision years ago well before you were ever born. The fact that you think that you can convince me otherwise is ridiculous. Who do you think you are?"

"I'm your son," Jin said back firmly. "And when I think my father is in trouble then I'll try my damnest to help him!"

"Keep your voice down!" Kazuya said in frustration and annoyance. He had no idea how to convince him to leave and now it seemed he would only get worse the longer he stayed. "Do you want them to hear you? I told you, you're not supposed to be here."

They both looked up when the door opened. Kazuya cursed under his breath when he saw who it was—the doctor.

"Sorry to disturb your heated discussion. It all sounded quite enlightening," the doctor said with a pleasant smile.

Jin was within arm's length of Kazuya and at that moment, Kazuya instinctively pulled the other closer to him. He received no resistance from the other.

"I wondered who you were, loitering about the place day and night. And now everything makes sense. Kazuya failed to mention anything about you, but then I always knew he was holding back on me," the doctor said addressing Jin specifically.

"You leave him be," Kazuya demanded of the other not liking the intent gaze he had on his son. "And you speak only to me."

The doctor slowly turned his gaze to Kazuya. "But isn't he the reason for all your stress recently? I couldn't for the life of me understand why your stress levels were so high when all the while it was the fault of a parent's innate ability to worry about their offspring."

"I don't see why I should have to discuss my personal life with you."

"When it concerns your health, it is quite necessary. In fact, it is your duty. You signed a binding agreement, Kazuya, of _full_ disclosure."

Kazuya felt Jin become tense in his grasp. He could only imagine the kind of fearful expression he had now.

"So I didn't tell you. What do you plan to do about it? He simply came for a visit. He was just leaving."

"Leaving to where, Mr. Mishima? An orphanage perhaps? Or were you also lying about your family situation? Is there a wife somewhere? Foster parents?"

"It's none of your concern."

"He's living on his own then with no supervision save you. That's why you always leave at night. That's why you stole that key."

_So he knows about that._ "I simply wanted some fresh air."

"And even now you continue to lie. Mr. Mishima, allow me to take that child, your son, off of your hands. You don't need such distractions. He'll be well cared for and you won't have to worry about his wellbeing."

Jin shrunk back even more. Kazuya looked down at the other and all he could see was fear. He must have known that his prospects didn't look good. Worse, the thought of simply handing him over had actually crossed his mind. It _would_ be simpler if he did what the doctor instructed, but where would that leave him? Where would that leave Jun? He didn't want to think about Jun right then—he had a decision to make right then and there.

"I…can't."

"Oh, don't make this hard on yourself, Mr. Mishima. I understand your concern. I even understand why you wanted to keep him a secret."

"I said I can't," Kazuya said firmly.

"You're in no position to argue. I am your doctor and I have full rights over you and your entire life."

A disgusted look came to Kazuya's face as he said this. He hadn't wanted to get anyone else involved besides himself. It might have been alright for the doctor to say as much had he been on his own, but Jin was listening. He heard every single word. How could he let that man have so much power over him? Was that really how he planned to live the rest of his life? Who knew if there was even a way to control this Devil Gene? It wasn't as if G Corporation had ever guaranteed a solution. Then he felt Jin leave his grasp.

"You don't know my father. He wouldn't let you control him like that. He says I'm not going with you and I'm _not_."

"A presumptuous one, isn't he," the doctor said with a smile.

"Jin, step away from him," Kazuya ordered.

But Jin stood his ground with crossed arms. The doctor bent down to him. "Poor child, you don't know, do you? Your father can't save you. He'll do as he's asked no matter how much he might struggle."

Kazuya groaned despite himself as he climbed off the bed. He was unprepared for the sharp pain in his abdomen when he stood up and he held it gingerly. He moved unsteadily towards the two and the doctor looked up with surprise. The doctor seemed far too surprised as if he had known it should have been virtually impossible for him to do so much. The doctor wouldn't have known as much unless he himself was behind his strange weakness.

The doctor straightened himself again and he was able to regain that smile of his. He still felt in control of the entire situation especially after noticing the other grimace.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Mr. Mishima. If you think about it calmly and civilly, you'll know that what I'm doing is for the best."

Kazuya hadn't said anything, he was too concentrated on moving one foot after the other. He only wanted to get close enough so he could…

The doctor cried out and then crumbled to the ground in sudden unconsciousness as a jarring fist slammed into his guts. Had the doctor known of the kind of lethal weapons that Kazuya always had at his disposal, he might have taken more precautions, but now was too late to think of such things. For now, the doctor was completely incapacitated.

Jin watched the events unfold with shock. He hadn't seen any of it coming. He looked up to his father then, clearly in pain and then his eyes dropped to Kazuya's arm which held himself quite tenderly. His father had been much weaker than he had been letting on, Jin realized.

"What are we going to do now?" Jin asked to the other.

Kazuya looked to the doctor and then his gaze returned to Jin steadily. "I can't stay here anymore."

/

AN: I usually never know what's going to happen until I actually type it. My surprise is as genuine as yours. Jin must be pretty elated. Stay tuned!


	17. Righteousness

Chapter 17: Righteousness

Jun had to travel quite a ways to get to the Mishima Gardens. She had lived so far away from civilization, that it would take a day's drive just to make it back to the city. Even when she got there, she had to drive further still to the suburbs. All the while, Jun felt Kazuya's presence at least the part of him she had recovered from the cemetery. He wasn't nearly as eager to please her as the one from her home had been. Instead, he stayed wholly silent as if he had wanted to disappear altogether. She began to wonder to what extent Kazuya had neglected that part of him. Perhaps the form he had taken could clue her in. Kazuya had been raised by his father, the very same man who seemed quite capable of killing him off without a second thought. She wondered how that must have been like always living in fear, always watching what he said or did. Then she realized that she couldn't properly imagine it—she had absolutely nothing to compare it to.

It was a miracle she had even found him the way he was back then. Though her family hadn't thought much of him, Jun still saw kindness there. She could see that he was completely harmless—all bark but no bite. She couldn't remember if he had ever even raised his voice at her. She knew she was quite capable of being annoying and nag probably as much as her own mother, but the most she had gotten out of him was irritation. In fact, the only time she had seen him angry with her was if she specifically goaded him into it and she knew all the right buttons to push. Heihachi might have been the worst kind of influence an impressionable child could have, but Kazuya came out of it relatively unscathed. At least she thought he did before he told her about one of Heihachi's more serious attempts on his life. Even so, Jun found that she could still love such a man. She wondered if that would be the case now. She hadn't seen him in years and she had no idea how she might react upon seeing him once again—not just a ghost or some fragmented soul, just him complete and in the flesh.

Jun drove by the Mishima residence so that she could park her rental car in a place not easily seen from the property. She was glad that she came in the cover of night; it made her feel safer. She parked on the side of the road a ways down the street and when she proceeded down the sidewalk she kept to the shadows of the trees that bordered much of her path. Eventually she was standing in front of the goliath structure which was the Mishima Mansion.

She'd been there once before having wrangled the address out of a reluctant Kazuya. At some point, she had wanted to learn about his family and she hadn't been satisfied with the little bit Kazuya had offered her. Though she promised him she would never go visit that house, she did. Heihachi was far too arrogant to have a working alarm system on his property. Fear alone would stop any potential break ins. She wondered if that had worked. Seeing as there still weren't any alarms going off as she climbed nimbly over the fence, she supposed it was. She jogged passed the main structure of the house and passed the field that Kazuya had mentioned his father would train him for hours on end in.

She came upon the large greenhouse which was the oversized garden of the Mishima residence. She tried the door and it was open and stepped into what looked like an entirely different world. Bright, vibrant colors drew her eyes even in the dead of night. The only flowers she knew for sure was there were tulips and roses. Each of them had their own array of colors. Vines crawled up every trellis her eyes could find. It was beautiful. She stood breathless for a while. How could something so lovely survive in a place so ugly?

"Jun," stated a voice that sounded exactly like Kazuya.

Jun was only a little surprised. She had been so caught up in her surrounding that she had for a moment forgotten what she had come there for. "So you're the part of him that represents righteousness."

"Yes," the man said choosing that moment to appear before her. "I am his moral compass."

This Kazuya seemed older. Older than the Kazuya she had in her memories, but only his eyes showed this. There was no sunlight to strike him. He appeared to be perfectly solid.

"You chose this place to stay. Why is that?" Jun asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"It was here that I truly learned what was right and what was wrong. My father would never step foot in this place so I used it as a sanctuary. It was a place where I felt safe. I could contemplate my actions and the actions of others and decide for myself whether they were right or wrong."

"All by yourself? How were you even able to decide those things if no one had ever taught you?"

"It was more like an instinct. It was based off of my feelings. I would question everything and eventually it would lead me to a concrete answer. And you are wrong, my father did teach me about morals—he taught me how they could weaken and hinder one from their goals. I knew what kind of man my father was and I decided that I would be the opposite. He exemplified a life without morals and it disgusted me. I chose that I would have them and I would have them in spite of him."

"It didn't have to be like that, you know. You could have turned out completely different. You could have taken everything your father taught you at face value."

"Perhaps one is born with certain predispositions."

"That must have been your saving grace."

"I thought of my mother as well. I didn't know her very well. Even now, her face is difficult to remember, but I always thought fondly of her. She gave me something that my father has always been unable to."

"Love?"

"Yes. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to be capable of loving another. That's what I strove for."

"Don't worry, Kazuya, you are." Suddenly, much to her surprise, the child Kazuya appeared beside her. "Oh, I didn't know you had followed me."

"I am drawn to my other part," the child said solemnly.

Jun watched as the older Kazuya's gaze came upon the other entity.

"It is through you I exist," the man said to the quiet child.

"As I suspected," the other replied.

"It is through you that any of the other parts exist. You are at the center of it all. Without you, there is no Kazuya," the man continued.

"Yes, as I suspected," the child repeated himself. "Though I've never felt so important."

"But you are, little one. Modesty does not become you." Then the man turned to Jun. "You came for me, didn't you? Do you plan to bring us back as one with Kazuya?"

"Yes, I do," Jun nodded. "I only need to go back home and find the other part again."

"And what will you do then? Do you know where Kazuya is?"

"If he's alive, then he must have needed a place to recover. I know it isn't the Mishima Zaibatsu so it has to be G Corporation, the only place with similar technology at its disposal not under Heihachi's thumb."

"Your assumptions are correct," the man said. "However, we can sense him from afar. I will lead you to him as I have led Jin."

"Jin. So it was you who convinced him to leave on his own accord. And you're supposed to be righteousness, right? How could you think it alright have some child roaming around on his own?"

"It was his decision in the first place. I did not force him. I simply led him. Kazuya wanted to see him. Some part of him wanted to see him and that part is with Kazuya himself."

"You mean he can relay dreams from that far away?"

"Distance is a corporeal obstacle. We can be anywhere we like at any time."

"Then you could go back to Kazuya."

"Kazuya has rejected us."

"Yeah, that's right. But now you two are together and you know where the other one is."

"You must be there, of course. What would be the point of going there if you are here? We follow you. You are our only way back to our complete form."

"Alright, well listen to me now, the other piece of Kazuya needs some help from you two. He's fighting off some kind of evil and he's weakening. I don't want him to die."

"His death wouldn't be a complete tragedy, Jun. Even if he dies, he could eventually be regenerated. You would simply have to meet with Kazuya again and form the same kind of relationship."

"Why are we even talking about death? Now you two go and help him."

"Jun," the small child began drawing her attention, "He doesn't mean to be rude. He only hopes to alleviate your concerns. The urgency is not as great as you think it is. Time is still on your side. In the event that we are unsuccessful, there will still be a way to fix things. On the other hand, if either one of us dies, the Kazuya you know will no longer exist. Have a safe journey, Jun. Guard yourself well."

With this, the two of them vanished from her sight and Jun could feel almost immediately when it happened. The greenhouse as well lost some of vigor. The colors weren't quite as deserving of her awe. After being in the presence of two fragmented souls for so long, it took a good second for reality to set in once again. She'd been in there for too longer. Leaving was her utmost priority.

With sudden urgency, Jun rushed out of the place as quickly as she could. Her heart only stopped thumping so hard when she made it back safe to her car. She had another long drive ahead of her back to her home in the mountains.

/

Jin lacked the proper height to be of any use to Kazuya who might have needed to lean on something. They made their way as quickly as Kazuya's pace would allow. The walls were his new best friend as he used them to move along the hallway. Thankfully, they didn't pass any personnel during that time. In fact, they made it back to the front entrance with no incident.

Jin kept looking back at his father concerned with whether he was up for traveling, worrying that he might give up right then and there, but he should have known better. When they made it outside, his pace slowed even more since he had nothing to hold onto. He still held his stomach and his expression remained pained.

"We'll go back to the hotel," Kazuya said at last after they crossed the street.

"Do you think it's safe there?" Jin asked glancing back at the other.

"It'll have to be."

Jin thought that they would leave immediately, but then he realized how unrealistic that was. The nearest airport was miles from here. Jin could run there in a day, but Kazuya was not going to be doing in rigorous activity for a while.

"Don't worry, Jin, we'll leave as soon as I am able," Kazuya said as an afterthought.

Jin sometimes wondered if the other could mind read. Was he really that much of an open book? Jin doubted that there was anything that Kazuya couldn't just figure out by studying his face. And this time all he had done was glance back. Had it been something in his voice? Had he been able to hear the impatience in his tone?

Jin kept a sharp lookout for any potential danger. He half expected a white coat to be running out yelling for their escaped patient, but nothing of the sort ever occurred.

"I doubt anyone's even looking for me," Kazuya said when they were over halfway there. "They won't know what happened until they find him in the room. Nurses don't usually come in so late. It'll have to be tomorrow if anything happens."

"And you think the doctor will still be out?"

"If he survives, I'll give him a day."

"Survive?" Jin said looking back at him with surprise.

"Oh don't give me that look. I held back as much as I could, but it's never a good idea to attack a civilian. You really don't know how much they can take."

"Won't you be in trouble if he dies?"

"I'm a dead man, remember? My father made sure of that. They could hardly put a dead man to trial. Besides, G Corporation has its own skeletons in the closet. They'll want to keep things under wraps."

"Wow, you really thought this out. I thought this was spur of the moment."

"It was, basically. Everything just came together in my mind. I knew what I had to do and I knew I could get away with it."

"Well…I hope I never get on your bad side," Jin said in a joking manner.

"Jin, do you seriously think me capable doing that to you?" Kazuya asked earnestly and with sudden intensity.

Jin stopped immediately in his tracks and turned back to the other. There was a certain desperation in the other's eyes as if he wanted something that only Jin could give him.

"No, of course not!" Jin said as if the answer was obvious.

Jin watched as the other's eyes lost their intensity and he simply nodded. "Alright."

Kazuya had already started making his way again and Jin returned to his previous pace. He was glad when they finally made it to the hotel. Kazuya's pace had slowed even more by that time. Jin quickly opened the door for him so the other wouldn't have to go fishing in his pockets for the key card.

It was unspoken knowledge that the only bed in there was for Kazuya. Jin had already fully expected to sleep on the ground, the very same ground that he had decided before he would never lay on. The bed was low to the ground, not high as the ones in the facility. Kazuya found it easy to climb into. Almost immediately upon doing so, he fell asleep without further comment.

Jin noticed immediately that the other's breathing was off. He could not sleep deeply for the pain and awkward breathing, but he could do so lightly even if his rest was not really rest at all.

"Dad, will you be alright?" Jin asked almost too afraid to voice his concern. He was frightened of the answer. He sat on the ground very close to the bed and he looked intently at his father's lying form.

"I'll be fine," he answered not bothering to open his eyes.

That was all Jin could get out of him and soon he fell into silence.

/

AN: I'm on a serious roll right now. I hope it doesn't go away anytime soon. I can practically see the ending now. By the way, guys, you can take your time reading. It's no rush if you find yourself getting overwhelmed.


	18. Hang On

Chapter 18: Hang On

His breathing was ragged now as if he'd been running for an eternity and sweat beads rolled down from his forehead. Jin began to wonder if it had all been too soon. What if he had decided to enter the facility later on when Kazuya was stronger? They still could have the same argument. The doctor still could have been eavesdropping, but Kazuya would have had the strength to escape and he would have taken Jin with him.

Days passed and his condition did not improve. Jin would give him food and Kazuya would eat it as a matter of necessity, but it seemed like he wouldn't gain any strength from it. Jin wondered if there was anything he could do. Kazuya had said he'd be fine, but it didn't look that way. Had he simply been trying to spare his feelings? If he was really dying, wouldn't Kazuya have told him as much?

Jin noticed that he laid on his side with his body slightly curled. The wounds on his body from his chest down were bothering him. They throbbed incessantly and Kazuya could hardly rest peacefully. It was only when his exhaustion overcame his physical pain that he really slept but that didn't happen until after a couple of days. During that time, Jin would often hear the other mumble in his sleep. No matter how hard he tried, Jin couldn't quite make out the words. It was probably nonsensical things that would only make sense to the speaker.

"Do you need anything?" Jin would often find himself saying.

He would ask for food more often than not and nothing more. He would struggle even to eat, but it was a necessary activity. Jin had full access to Kazuya's wallet and Jin felt more at ease buying things. Surely Kazuya had money that wouldn't run out anytime soon.

It was when he began to shiver even though it wasn't cold in the room when Jin knew for certain that the other's health wasn't improving.

"Dad, I think you need to go to the hospital."

"No…hospital," he managed to say.

"But why? You need help, professional help."

"G Corporation…they'll be looking…" Kazuya responded through half closed eyes. It was a wonder he could still comprehend what was being said to him.

"But what am I supposed to do?"

Kazuya chose not to respond or else he couldn't find the energy to. His head was turned from him now. Jin returned to his post on the floor unable to figure out what to do. He could do no more than watch the other's health deteriorate right before his eyes. He still hadn't the slightest clue that the other wore quite a bit of bandages under his clothes and Kazuya wanted to keep it that way. How was he going to convince the other to do what he had been debating in his mind for him to do for the past couple days? Kazuya steeled himself and turned his head towards Jin. He caught the other's attention immediately. Jin gave him a questioning look.

"Jin, I want you to leave. Take my wallet, it's one of the few things that survived my accident, there should be enough there to afford you a trip to Japan," Kazuya saw that the other was already shaking his head. "Listen to me, you have to do this."

"But I came here for you," Jin argued, "I won't just leave you," Jin said—_to die_. The unspoken words were almost palpable.

"You came here to convince me that what I was doing was stupid, just one of the many ill-advised choices I've made in my life—and you did that."

"Maybe if I hadn't gotten myself caught. Maybe if I waited until you were recovered…maybe—

"And maybe the sky was green instead of blue. You could go on forever thinking how things could have been different, but they're not and they never will be. We can only change the future. We can only live in the now."

"I wanted you to come back with me. Now that we've made it this far, I can't just give up now."

"It _isn't_ giving up rather making the best of an unfortunate situation. Now don't argue with me, I haven't the strength. My decision is final. You will go back to your mother who's probably worried sick about you."

_Mom._ Jin thought to himself. He had almost completely forgotten about her. He had told himself that all he was doing was for her, but he knew better now. He too had a stake in all this—he too wanted his family whole once more as it should have been.

"You're not planning on dying while I'm not looking, are you," Jin accused.

Kazuya didn't even acknowledge his question, "Tell your mother when you see her that I'm sorry for causing her so much pain and that I love her, always will. Do you have that?"

Jin nodded vigorously.

"Then leave while I can still see you do it. Make sure to keep to yourself and keep out of sight."

"Alright," Jin nodded again.

Kazuya was watching him. Jin knew that he had leave at that instant. He could at least honor a dying man's wish. He took up Kazuya's wallet and one of the key cards and left closing the door gently. Who would bring him food? Jin thought to himself. It would be suicide leaving him like this. In fact, Jin hadn't planned on leaving at all. He only gave the illusion of it. He even went so far as to walk all the way outside, but he hid himself nearby waiting for an hour or so before he returned without Kazuya's knowledge.

He understood Kazuya's line of reasoning. If he himself couldn't make the journey, then Jin would. Either way, Jun would not be left on her own. There would be no point in watching him die. In fact, it could probably wind up being a waste of time and nothing will have been accomplished. He needed a hospital, but it occurred to Jin that Kazuya would much rather die than be found out by G Corporation and taken someplace where escape was impossible. Jin agreed with his sentiment. Still, it was physically impossible for Jin to simply leave someone especially in that condition by himself. He'd sooner starve than die from whatever was ailing him. So after an hour was up, Jin returned to the room and sat down at a good distance away from the other's line of sight.

Jin could still hear just how painful it was for him to breathe as if there simply wasn't enough oxygen in the air. He was asleep, Jin was sure of it. Despite everything he seemed to finally be resting. By nightfall, he was eerily quiet. Jin crept over to check and see if he was alive. His chest still moved, but nothing more. He must have been unconscious.

"Hang in there, Dad. I'll think of something."

/

Jun drove recklessly down the long highway. There were no cops on the road as far as she could see so she could go as fast as she wanted. With it being rather late in the night, hardly any cars were out. She was a speed demon at heart, rolling down the window and yelling out in pure joy. She didn't know too many people who would tolerate her wild side with no question. Kazuya had. There weren't too many activities he wasn't game for. In fact, he did more than tolerate it—he had accepted it with an ease that amazed even her. He was pleasantly amused, she was sure of it. In fact, he made it a point to inform her of the roads that cops didn't frequent. He helped her to gain more control of the car while in higher speeds. It was a nice change of pace for Jun to not have someone admonish her for every one of her faults. It was nice to have someone embrace all that she was—the good and the bad.

But Kazuya wasn't here. He couldn't swerve her out of the way when she came up on a car too quickly. He couldn't remind her to slow down on the sharper turns. She had to do all those things herself. Eventually, she did slow down fearing her life. She knew she wouldn't feel safe enough to do such things until there was someone she could trust beside her once more.

"I'm sorry, Jun," came a child's voice in the passenger's seat.

Jun jumped a little at the sudden intrusion. The child sat straight-backed beside her.

"Okay, but will you tell me what you're sorry about?"

"We got there too late, far too late. He had already dissipated long ago. The evil spirit that was there did not survive."

"Wait a minute, are you serious? You can't be serious. He _told_ me. How could he lie about that? None of you guys can lie, can you?"

"Only Righteousness cannot lie. That Kazuya at your home is perfectly capable of lying, cheating and stealing if it meant that it could spare your feelings. He was concerned only for you and your wellbeing. He knew that there was only one way you would agree to leaving him be."

"You're telling me he lied to me?"

The child nodded, "He knew from the outset. We cannot grow any stronger than what we are outside of the body."

"But why? Just because of my feelings?"

"That evil spirit sought Jin's soul and he had decided that no cost was too great if he could be rid of it. He wanted the curse to end. He did not want you to go through yet another person in your life slowly succumbing to evil."

"And he made that decision without me."

"He made that decision with only you in mind. Would you have it any other way? There was nothing you could have done and it was imperative that you go to the other soul fragments. It will be alright in the end, Jun."

"And how is that? Kazuya will never be whole again."

"He will be with your guidance."

"But he won't love me."

The child shook his head. "We are simply soul fragments, ones that affect a person's feelings. His mind is still whole. He will still _know_, but the feeling would be absent. It is difficult to explain."

"I think I understand." Jun had slowed down to tolerable speeds by that time. She knew she was easily distracted while driving especially with this kind of news. "I don't know how it will be like. I won't know anything until I spend some time with him again. It's one thing to talk about how he might be like, but I haven't even so much as spoken to him in over a decade. He will have changed even without all of this."

"You should go to the nearest airport," a man's voice said from behind her.

"Geez, alright, _master_. Where to?" Jun asked.

"To Nepal, Nebraska. I would hurry if I were you."

/

Jin bought himself something to eat with Kazuya's money and he ate it sitting close to the bed hoping that the smell might rouse the other. It had been a few days and the other hadn't so much as twitched. Kazuya had stayed put, not relaxed, but just very still. Jin had to resist the urge to shake him back to wakefulness. There was no telling how the other might respond to it. Perhaps he might accidently wind up killing him. The thought made him shutter. He wondered if his decision to stay had been wise. What if his father did die in front of him? Would he be prepared for such a thing?

Jin laid out on the ground after he finished eating. Things were out of his hand once again just as it had been before. Fate was a force to be reckoned with. Everything seemed stacked against him. The situation would unfold exactly as it pleased without a thought to how Jin might have wanted it to occur.

When Jin quieted himself, he could make out the other's breathing. It was shallow and quick, his heart working overtime simply to get at the oxygen in the air. It occurred to Jin that it might be better to have a window open. The window only looked out to yet another building so it wasn't as if there would be many people trying look inside. Even if they did, from that view they'd only see a dingy wall and a small dresser. Jin had never opened the window before only the blinds so that he could see the graffiti. As he pulled at it, a loud screeching noise made him stop abruptly. Jin glanced over at Kazuya and saw that he had not moved. Then Jin continued as quickly as possible, but the earsplitting noise wouldn't stop until finally Jin deemed the window opened up high enough.

When Jin did return to Kazuya's side, he saw that his expression had changed as if in confusion.

"Jin…you imbecile…" he muttered, but that was all he could manage.

"I couldn't just leave you," Jin declared, but he might as well have been speaking to a wall.

Kazuya had already returned to his previous condition, his breathing once again shallow and quick. Jin listened to it for the rest of the night until he fell asleep. He was awakened the next morning with three hard raps on the door. Jin was almost startled out of his skin. No one had ever knocked on the door and no one was supposed to be. Could it be that G Corporation had found them? Jin glanced back at Kazuya's unmoving form. There was no way for escape if that was the case. The knocking repeated itself three more times and Jin kept quiet.

"Kazuya?" a woman's voice yelled through the door. "I'll knock this door down if you don't let me in."

"Mom!?" Jin cried incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"Jin?!" Jun said with equal shock. "Let me in will you. I've been knocking for ages!"

Jin scrambled to the door immediately and beheld his mother. For the time being, all they could do was embrace one another. They pulled away almost at the same time. There was a much more immediate concern. Jun stepped into the room and closed the door.

"How has he been?" Jun asked seriously as she walked across the room in two steps and gazed down upon Kazuya.

"He hasn't been well since we left that research facility."

"G Corporation?" Jun asked glancing back at Jin.

"Yes," he said with a nod. "He's just been in pain ever since. I think the doctor poisoned him."

"Poisoned him? Good grief. What would be the point of that?"

Jin shook his head unable to come up with a reason.

Jun bent down a little and peeled back his shirt. "No, I don't think he's been poisoned. I think his wounds have become infected."

"Wounds?" Jin asked.

Jun smiled to herself. "That's just like him not to tell you everything. He's not one for long stories."

Jin was already by Jun's side and was looking down at the bandages—they were not in good repair. "I could have bought some bandages. I could have changed them."

"And I'm sure you would have gotten caught in the process. They—the people over in that facility—would know that Kazuya was in need of bandages. They'd be watching every pharmacy, every supermarket."

"Then what do we do now?"

"We'll take him to the hospital," Jun stated confidently.

"But—

"He'll be safe there. I'll make sure of it."

"You have a plan then," Jin said wanting to know the details.

"It's not for you to know. All you need to do is keep an eye out for your father. I'll do the rest." Jun sighed heavily to herself. "I thought it would be easy once I made it here. Now I have to deal with this."

Jun left the room once again telling Jin to stay with him. She'd call the ambulance from the front office phone. Eventually, the two of them sat down together on the floor.

"You're not mad with me, are you?" Jin asked.

Jun shook her head. "I have better things to put my energy towards."

"How did you know to come here?"

"Another time, Jin. It really would be a long story."

"Okay," Jin said with marked disappointment.

"I might not be angry with you, Jin, but what you did was stupid. Running off all on your own. There were a million and one ways that this could have turned out worse than it already is. You don't even know your father all that well. What possessed you to do all this?"

"I wanted to know him like I had in that dream."

"And it all comes back to that. That dream must have really been something."

"You were happy there. We were happy there together."

"Well, this is reality," Jun replied as her eyes strayed over to the bed. "And he could very well die."

"At least…at least I got to spend some time with him."

"You make it sound like it was pleasant. I can't imagine he welcomed you with open arms."

"No, he didn't, but I read between the lines."

"How was he? I know that dream of yours was rooted in reality. You must have known how he was back then. Wasn't he…different now?"

"Yeah, he was different—not himself, but the more I spent time with him, the more he…remembered. I don't know. He wouldn't tell me what exactly was wrong with him. He said he had trouble remembering things. Sometimes, he would just seem…off."

Jun nodded. "I see."

The ambulances came eventually and took Kazuya to the nearest hospital. He was placed in intensive care. He was given an oxygen mask as quickly as possible and his bandages were changed immediately. He was then placed on antibiotics and since he was unable to eat for himself, he would be given nutrients intravenously.

Jin had seen this all before, but there weren't quite so many wires and no oxygen mask. Jun asked the doctor after he did his initial analysis of the patient many questions, but the answers were vague at best. It was never a sure thing when dealing with sepsis. His body could fight it off, but on the other hand he might already be too weak to do so.

Jun seemed calmed and composed through it all and Jin was glad for that because he felt on the verge of falling completely apart. All he was tasked with was watching over Kazuya. Jun sat down at the seat nearest to the door with her legs crossed. She seemed to be waiting for something and then Jin understood at least part of the plan. She was going to keep a vigil for any outside danger. Jin had nearly forgotten the fact that Jun could indeed protect herself. He wondered if she planned on taking them all down with her bare hands. She looked confident enough.

Jin returned to Kazuya. His breathing was regulated now and his chest fell at regular intervals. He had never seen Kazuya so weakened before. He was pallid as if his vigor had left him completely. He could stay like that for an eternity and never reawaken. The possibilities weighed heavily on Jin, but he preferred to think that Kazuya's recovery was inevitable.

/

AN: The family all in one room. What a sight.


	19. The Hospital

Chapter 19: The Hospital

Two days went by and nothing remotely exciting happened. There were no G Corp men trying to take back Kazuya, no suspicious activity from the nurses and doctors that worked at the hospital, no nothing. As for Kazuya's condition, it had not improved, but it also hadn't worsened. Jin had stared at the monitor keeping tabs on Kazuya's vitals until he thought he would go crazy. They hadn't so much as moved from the room in all that time. Jin might walk around the hospital and Jun might take a few strolls around the outside, but nothing more than that.

They practically lived at the hospital. All the time, Jin would keep asking himself whether or not his father might wake or if he might stay this way for an eternity. It was starting to look more like the latter. The doctor was unable to tell them anything definitive. Coma was never a thing a doctor could be specific about. At the very least, he wasn't brain dead. His bandages were changed regularly, but they did not heal as fast as the doctors said they would. His entire body seemed to be at a standstill. The doctor told them that probably all of his energy was being put towards fighting the infection in his blood. Jun wondered if they should do blood transfusion, but the doctor said it was a last resort if all else didn't work. Blood transfusion wasn't 100%. The infection could still be there even with new blood.

"What if he wakes up?" Jin asked one night to his mother.

"Well then, he wakes up."

"What would you do, I mean?" He was looking at nothing in particular as he sat next to the hospital bed staring at the opposite wall.

Jun shook her head. "I don't know."

"You mean, you haven't thought about it?"

"It's best not to get your hopes up. He might never wake."

"I know, but what if…"

"Yes, yes, what if. Jin, who knows if he'll even recognize me if he wakes?"

"Why wouldn't he?"

"It's complicated."

"Well, I have all the time in the world."

"Since I have nothing better to do, I'll explain." Jun then explained to him what she had been doing since his departure from their secluded home. How she learned of Kazuya's fractured soul, how she had found all the fragments and how one of them had sacrificed itself destroying an evil spirit that had since the day Jin was born wanted to possess him, and how the one that had been lost was the part that had loved her.

"You mean…" Jin began with surprise. "It's just gone just like that? He won't recognize you at all? But I don't get it, he knew about you. We talked about you before, he still cared. In fact, he told me to tell you something if he didn't make it."

Now it was Jun's turn to be surprised. "He did? Me specifically?"

"Yes," Jin nodded.

"Well, what was it?"

"I can't say. Not if he can say it himself when he wakes."

"Jin—

"Mom, I have to keep believing that he will be alright."

"Fine," Jun said. "I'll know one way or the other. It must be true then—his mind still knows, but I'm sure it won't be the same."

"Why not?" Jin asked.

"You're too young to understand. You've never…loved someone like that."

Jin frowned at this. "So. Isn't that where it starts? Don't you have to know that you love someone in order for there to be anything further?"

"No, it doesn't have to be like that. Sometimes you can love someone and not understand why."

"So you don't understand. You'd still _know_, right?"

"It's not the same."

"Aren't we just splitting hairs? Just the knowledge, that's all you need."

"Oh, Jin. There's more to it than that."

"Let me ask you this: When you talk about the heart, how someone feels—isn't that not governed by what someone thinks?"

"Yes, but…"

"It'd be pretty difficult to distinguish between what someone feels and what someone thinks. One begets the other. If the mind knows, wouldn't the heart know as well?"

"Jin, are you turning into some kind of a philosophist?"

"I was just…thinking out loud."

"No, it's fine. I see what you're getting at. Maybe it won't be as bad as I'm making it out to be, but thinking about it won't let me know any more than I know now. I'll just have to wait and see."

"You still haven't told me, though. What would you do if he woke?"

"I still don't know. I'd rather he saw you first. No need to shellshock him on the first go. Then maybe you can mention me and I might say something. Hopefully, he might say something…." Jun shrugged then. "Truth is, I really don't know what to say. It's been a long time. Too long, in fact. I don't know where I stand with him."

"I'm sure he doesn't know either. He told me, in so many words, that you'd be angry, that he couldn't just show up after so many years and you just welcome him with open arms."

"Really? He said that?" Jun said with a grin. "I guess he'd be right. I would be pissed, beyond pissed with him if he'd simply shown up like that with no explanation."

"And now?" Jin asked a little worried.

"Well, he didn't get a chance to do the showing up. That'll be me doing that—and if I know Kazuya at all, he wouldn't care how long it'd been. I mean, I don't think he'd care…"

Jun was still sitting at a distance from the hospital bed and Jin. Her voice was always just loud enough for Jin to hear but not too loud that any eavesdropper outside could hear. She sat back in her chair for what felt like the millionth time since she'd gotten there. She would make herself comfortable one way and then would eventually have to sit another way to achieve the same comfort.

"The way I see it—you're both worried about how the other would react and neither one of you know just how you would in the first place." The beginnings of a grin played on Jin's features.

"You find this amusing, don't you?" Jun asked situating herself different once again on the chair. "Bringing a family back together is a tall order. Even now, I'd say you were lucky. People's feelings don't always stay the same and most people have a good reason for why they break up—that reason is usually because the feelings weren't there anymore. You hadn't the slightest clue whether we even still _liked_ each other and yet you did all of this. It was selfish, foolish, idiotic."

Jin was now looking at his mother as her tone changed.

"And you're still hopeful even now. Could there really be that much grace left in the world?—that a little boy can get his parents back together again?"

"Mom, I didn't just do this for me."

Jun's eyebrows furrowed at this. "You want me to believe that you were just doing this for me all because of that silly dream?"

"It wasn't a silly dream," Jin said defiantly. "I know that you would cry some nights and there wouldn't be anything I could do about it. I knew it was because you missed him. That dream, it just gave me the motivation that I needed, but I wanted to do something like that anyway, I mean, maybe when I was older, but I still wanted to do something like that."

"You heard me crying? And I thought I'd managed to keep that from you." Jun sighed. "You still made a lot of assumptions. I might have cried, but that didn't mean I wanted to actually see him again."

"If that's what you want to tell yourself."

"I hated him for what he'd done. Those were not tears of sorrow, but of hate. I knew if I ever saw him again, I'd want to beat the tar out of him. Looks like fate beat me to the punch."

"Mom, you can't mean…?"

"I guess I'm not as soft as I used to be. I used to be able to feel for any man who was in a hospital, hurt for some reason or other. I definitely would have been able to do that for someone in a coma fighting off a life threatening infection. He made his own decisions, Jin. He got what he deserved. If he dies, the fault would be his."

Jin could no longer look at her and returned to looking at the wall. "People make mistakes sometimes."

"Yes, they do. I'll grant you that. That doesn't excuse his actions. Do you understand that he abandoned you, Jin? He didn't expect to actually meet you at all."

"I do. I've already forgiven him for that."

"Have you? Well I suppose you can still do things like that being a child. If you excuse me, Jin," Jun said standing up, "I'd like to stretch my legs for a few."

Jin only looked up when she left and only then did he let his shoulders slump. From what he could understand, a lot of things had to be worked out between those two and he doubted he could help at all in that respect. He could be the most well behaved child in the history of children, but there would still be friction between the two. It had been naïve to think everything could be so simple. Jun wasn't willing to let go of the past and Kazuya, well Jin was pretty sure he was quite guilt-ridden. Jin could understand his father's hesitation now about coming back home so arbitrarily. Even if it had sounded nice in Jin's mind, in reality, it probably would have been a disaster. Perhaps it was better that they met under these circumstances. Jun had felt so powerless to his whims for so long unable to stop herself from feeling the pain of his loss that it was a nice change of pace to be, at the moment, both physically and mentally stronger than the other.

Jin looked down at his father when he thought he heard some movement. It hadn't been the first time he had heard as much, but it had been imagined. He'd stare for almost half an hour and nothing would happen. He only glanced now and returned his gaze to the wall. But then he heard it again. Jin looked down again this time more intently and he could see it now—the other struggling to open his eyes. Jin took one of his hands then hoping that it might be enough stimuli. Slowly, his eyes did open and he seemed to know instinctively that Jin was beside him as his eyes found Jin's almost instantly. After all that talk from the doctor about Kazuya being confused upon first waking, Jin was quite startled.

He said something, but Jin couldn't hear it for the oxygen mask. Jin wanted to take it off, but he had no idea if he should or not. He didn't want to risk ruining anything, but he was afraid to leave his father's side running around asking for a doctor. He searched with his eyes for the device that called for the nurse. When he found it at Kazuya's feet, Jin pressed it immediately. All Jin could do was look at his father's eyes, but he was just as unable to read them as he had been in the past. There was hardly any emotion there and he had given up trying to say something. He must have sensed that it wouldn't amount to much at this point.

"Don't worry, Dad, I called in the nurse. She'll take care of you," Jin said. Then more slowly, "Welcome back."

Kazuya's eyes turned from his son and instead looked at the closed door to his room. Jin followed his gaze and wondered if his actions were in response to the fact that a nurse would be coming in shortly. Jin doubted it. His eyes seemed to lose some of its light as he continued to look in that direction as if his expectations had been dashed.

"The nurse will come any minute," Jin said misreading his father completely.

Not only did the nurse come in after a few minutes, so did the doctor. The doctor was quite genuinely happy about the new developments. Jin listened intently to the doctor's assessment after he looked over all the monitors. It was a good sign that his father had woken, but that he would still need to stay longer for the antibiotics to do their job and for his wounds to heal well enough. The doctor didn't think now was the time to give him actual food just in case his stomach couldn't take it. The whole time the doctor explained these things Kazuya hadn't said a word.

"What about the oxygen mask? Can it be taken off?" Jin asked.

The doctor smiled at the other, "It shouldn't do much harm if it's off for a little bit. If he shows any difficulties with breathing in the meantime, it would be best to simply leave it on."

"Okay," Jin said with a nod.

Jin waited for the doctor to leave before he did as much.

"Dad?" Jin asked cautiously after he gently took the mask off.

Kazuya was looking at him then finally taking his eyes away from the door again. "Hospital?" Kazuya asked the other simply.

Jin noted that he seemed to be breathing just fine on his own. "It wasn't my idea. Mom wanted to do it. I told her it was dangerous."

"So she _is_ here," Kazuya said almost to himself. "How was she?"

"You're asking how she is and you're the one in the hospital?"

Kazuya gave him an annoyed look. "Well?"

"She's fine. She just wanted to stretch her legs for a bit."

"Of course she's fine," Kazuya almost spat at the other. "You know what I mean. Is she angry, upset, anything?" His voice sounded rough and unused, but Jin understood perfectly.

Realization came to Jin's eyes. "Oh, I get it. Well…I think she's upset at least, but I'm sure she'll be happy to see you awake."

"I heard her voice before."

"Did you…hear what she was saying?"

"Enough of it. I think using the word 'happy' would be too generous."

"But she doesn't hate you," Jin argued. "She just—

Just then, the door to his room opened and in stepped Jun. Kazuya's gaze looked towards her immediately. Her face was at first surprised and confused, then she smiled lightly at the other and walked to the other side of the bed.

"I honestly didn't think you'd survive," Jun said, "But then you survived your father so I shouldn't be surprised."

"If it's any consolation, I didn't think so either."

"Geez, you guys are so doom and gloom," Jin said at once after he heard this.

Jun looked at him in the kind of annoyance that Jin hadn't seen on her face before. "Would you mind stepping outside for a bit? Your father and I…have some things to discuss."

"Right now? He just woke up."

"He seems strong enough," Jun countered. "Don't let me repeat myself."

Jin took his leave sensing his mother's patience growing thin. He sat down against the wall in the hall for about half an hour. Whatever they were discussing, it seemed it would take a while. As far as he could tell, there were no raised voices so they might not have been arguing each other to death. Still, Jin felt tense. If the conversation was going badly, he couldn't do anything to change that. The door opened a few minutes later as Jun let him back in.

Jin saw that his father's eyes were closed again and he looked at his mom accusingly.

"Oh, he's fine," Jun said dismissing Jin's look. "He just needed some rest." She sat down at her usual seat. "We didn't talk about anything too heavy," Jun said when she still noticed Jin's look. "Nothing about what our plans were after this. There were just some things that had to be said immediately."

"Mom," Jin said becoming worried.

"I won't apologize for speaking my mind, Jin."

"But he's still recovering," Jin argued.

"So he is and he can continue to do so," Jun sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. "I think I'll rest as well."

Jin felt very alone then. There was nothing he could do or say to influence their actions. He'd just have to let the situation go as it will.

/

AN: A rocky start, I suppose. But that was to be expected.


	20. Devil Be Gone!

Chapter 20: Devil Be Gone!

Kazuya couldn't quite believe it—Jun was there. He hadn't asked just why this was so if Jin, as far as he knew, had not told her where he had run off to. He didn't care either way. For one reason or another, she had decided to grace him with her presence. She didn't exactly seem pleased to see him even if she could force a smile or two in his direction. Kazuya knew from yesterday that she had not forgiven him, that even if he had apologized it would amount to nothing. She was here because she had to be. When he questioned her as to why that was so, she wouldn't divulge him. It had been more than he deserved. He tried not to capture her gaze as he was sure that she tried to do the same thing, but the room was so cursed small. Sure, it was bigger than the hotel had been, but this place seemed so much smaller. Her presence filled the room as it usually did—at least where he was concerned—it was difficult to avoid her completely.

But there was always Jin always wanting his attention and always with a question. Kazuya would look at him and see a near mirror reflection of himself. If he stared long enough, he could also see Jun's subtle features—the way that he smiled for one thing and he seemed to do that more often than not in his presence. And he was what Jun would call optimistic—what Kazuya would call naïve. Kazuya wondered if it was due to his upbringing or whether he was simply predisposed. There was no way to tell.

Jin usually sat near him, but Jun sat so far away and out of hand's reach. She didn't want to be touched. He could tell that instantly. Her expression when she wasn't trying to force a smile for Jin's benefit was guarded. He wondered how she would ever trust him again—she had no cause to. In fact, never in a million years did he think he'd have to see her again not after all he had done. It gave him comfort to think that she was alive somewhere perhaps even happy and that she wasn't alone. He had not planned to confront her about it nor even to see if she was doing alright. She was simply not in his life anymore and he expected to keep it that way. Not this. Was he expected to work things out with her? Kazuya glanced over at Jin. Of course, the brat thought it was possible, but it wasn't his forte. What was he to say? What could he really do? He couldn't take back his actions and really didn't feel like apologizing—that wasn't his way either. Then what? Romantic dinner? That would be trying too hard. He'd never done as much before. In fact, their entire relationship was untraditional. He supposed there had been dates, but he wasn't sure what they were. There were simply times that they connected at a deeper level. Such times couldn't exactly be planned even if he had tried to do as much in the beginning. Simply being in one's presence was enough. It was strange and not something that could be easily repeated or repaired for that matter.

Kazuya heard as Jin stood up from his chair perhaps to get some fresh air. This time, however, it was simply to use the bathroom. When Jin wasn't there to watch them, their expressions became far less practiced. Kazuya's neutral expression wasn't quite so neutral and Jun wore an openly irritated look.

"Kazuya, there's something I need to tell you. I suppose you're strong enough now," Jun said as she stood up and approached his bed.

She was closer than usual now and Kazuya looked up at her steadily.

"When you were revived, your soul was fractured as well. While Jin had run off on his ridiculous journey…"

Kazuya realized that he was no longer listening even as he looked at her. Her voice sounded strange and faraway as if he was listening to her across a loud stream. Not that he heard rushing water in his ears. He couldn't quite place what he heard, but it was draining out her voice and he soon wore a confused expression. Wrong move as her expression changed from annoyed to angry in a second. "Are you even listening?" he read from her lips—he couldn't make out what she was saying otherwise. And then there was that splitting headache, the one that he felt at that second, the very second where she spun on her heal and stormed out of the room. He did hear the door crashing shut like a deep and terrible thunder. BANG! He even flinched from the very sound—it did wonders for his headache. It was far more excruciating than he had expected, unnatural even. He placed the soft part of his hand on his forehead as if it would do anything—it was simply a force of habit. He clenched his eyes shut for good measure. Even the light began to bother him.

He heard as the door to the bathroom opened. Oh, yes, there was Jin and he must have heard the slamming door. He wondered if he had imagined it louder than it really was. He couldn't be sure.

"Dad! What happened? Why did she just—

"I _don't_ feel like going through one of your childish interrogations. Leave me alone—go bother that mother of yours."

Jin must have been able to hear the underlying threat in his tone because he was instantly scrambling out the door. Kazuya was soon left to himself. It took a long while, but soon the headache subsided. He was able to open his eyes and the room wasn't so bright anymore.

He had been sitting up and was deliberating whether he should just lie back down or not when the door to his room opened. The first thing he saw was Jun and Jin tailed her.

"Sorry," Jun said quickly. He noticed as she gave Jin a side glance. They must have been discussing him again—it was quite obvious. Kazuya didn't even bother looking Jin's way. At the moment, only Jin could speak with Jun without her flying off the handle—he was just a little jealous of this fact. "I'll start over again. Your soul, Kazuya, it was fractured…"

The same phenomenon occurred again but this time the onset was instant. Jun must have known that he was no longer listening because she came quite close to him—he could practically feel her breathing—but she didn't seem to be looking at him but something else. He felt as she placed her hands on the sides of his face as if he needed to be forced to look at her. The lights overhead were distracting. He wanted to at least shield his eyes, but he couldn't quite do it at this point not in the position that Jun had him and he did not resist her. He ignored the headache since he had such a view of her face. She was just as lovely as she had been before. Sure, there may have been some stress lines, but that was to be expected.

"Kazuya!" he heard her shout from what sounded like across a baseball field.

Why did he have to concentrate so hard just to hear her? She was right there in front of him only inches away.

"Kazuya, I need you to answer this one question—that's all you have to do. I want to help you—will you accept my help?"

"Yes, of course," he said without hesitation. Saying no, seemed like a foolhardy thing to do. Besides he had said 'no' all those years ago and he hadn't gotten very far. He had solved nothing. Perhaps he might try something different now.

"Good," Jun replied with the beginnings of a smile—not a forced one, but one far more genuine. "Then brace yourself."

Her voice barely got through to him and he had no idea what she was talking about. He remembered she had spoken of a fractured soul, but could she really be talking of him? Was she being literal? He saw her looking at something, speaking to someone else, but it hadn't been Jin. Before he could question the scene before him, he began to feel as if he was sinking. It was that same sinking feeling he felt whenever Devil exerted its force over him. He didn't feel as if he was in a bed at all, but that somehow he was simply sinking into some dark abyss. He did close his eyes and bend over for good measure as the pain increased twofold and the lights began stinging his eye sockets. He couldn't see anything—he didn't _want_ to see anything. He felt a hand, Jun's hand pressing against his chest indicating that he should sit back so he did. And then as if at the snap of a finger, his entire body felt like it was on fire so much so that he chanced opening his eyes. The stinging pain of the lights was the least of his problems as he peered down. Nothing out of the ordinary. There was just Jun beside his bed with her arms stretched out, the flat of her hand hovering above. Her eyes were closed deep in concentration. He had no idea what she was doing, but he was sure it was connected with the pain he felt then—the one he couldn't ignore, the very same one he cried out from. But he trusted her. If this was punishment, then so be it.

He hadn't realized that he had been crying out or thrashing about in his bed. His eyes were closed again—the lights becoming too much for him. He felt himself sinking further and further into oblivion. He knew that he could not have been—his mind knew that he was still in the hospital, but what he felt was completely different. As he usually did when he found himself in great pain—he would separate himself from it. He pretended as if he was somewhere else, anywhere else that wasn't here at this moment. But he was jolted away from his ruminations when he felt something that was akin to being ripped in half. It was a startling kind of pain—the kind that he didn't think existed. It wasn't just physical pain, it was something much deeper—a wound he hadn't known was there. Whatever Jun was doing he just wished it would be over soon. He wondered how much more of it he could bear. Then it no longer felt like ripping, more like a shovel digging into earth, himself being the earth. His mind couldn't even begin to comprehend what trauma he felt. All he could do was let it happen. He did not struggle against it, but his body reacted to it—thrashing and convulsing.

He thought he could hear Jun's voice so he concentrated on it. He didn't quite understand what she was saying but it was comforting nonetheless; like water to a thirsty man. He felt as slowly the agonizing pain began to subside. Little by little he began to regain his senses. That wound he hadn't known was there felt as if it was mending similar to a missing tooth growing back after it was snatched out. Her voice became clearer.

"It's over now, Kazuya. I'm so sorry. I wish I could have helped you sooner, but Devil put up quite a fight. I used some of your life energy—you'll be lethargic for quite some time because of it. But your immediate wounds will mend soon enough."

Kazuya took a chance and opened his eyes. The severity of the lights had died down once again and he could see Jun quite clearly looking down at him. She seemed relieved. He couldn't think of what to say at that moment; his mind completely numb. He couldn't think of anything meaningful and wind up replying simply: "Yeah, okay…" But it must have been the two magic words because her face brightened twofold into a smile—a real smile, the one that could brighten his day without any effort. It embarrassed him how easily she could affect him. She bent down, kissed him briefly on the forehead and gave him a warm embrace. When he tried to return it, he found that he couldn't move at all.

"You'll be alright, okay," she whispered in his ear. "Time heals all things."

/

Jin had watched the entire thing with shock, horror, and then relief. After Jun had stormed out the room, he had caught back up to her and pleaded that she reconsidered her actions. He reminded her of Devil's presence. He told her about the time he had questioned Kazuya about the tournament and how Kazuya couldn't quite figure out just who had called it—him or some other thing. The point being, Kazuya was far more confused than he was letting on. That had been enough. Jun knew Kazuya—he didn't like to admit things about himself that would make others think him weak. In fact, he'd die before doing as much. Jun had run back along with Jin chastising to herself out loud that she should have known better. She should have known that something was wrong.

Jun explained to Jin what she had to do. First she had to separate Kazuya and the invading spirit. Then she had to insert the two soul fragments, one at a time. All of it would be painful beyond belief, but there would be nothing she could do for it. She had to do it and Kazuya had to be able to handle it. Jin hadn't thought it would get as bad as it did. He could still hear his father's cries until his voice had become hoarse with overuse. Jun had locked the door to keep out the doctors and nurses. It was a good thing she had. Jin hadn't been able to see anything as his mother commented on her progress. He had seen no evil spirit or soul fragments. All he could see and hear was his father. He was glad when it was over.

As he looked down at his father, well-sweated, he saw that he had fallen asleep. He knew he was asleep and not unconscious as his breathing became deeper, not shallow as it had been before. Jin looked to his mother who had taken the seat that he usually sat in next to his father. For all that had taken place, it must not have taken much out of her. Jun looked up when she felt Jin's gaze.

"Sorry I put you through all of that. I probably should have told you to leave."

"No, it's fine," Jin said. "Just a bit…startling."

"Believe it or not, it was new for me as well. I've never…dealt with something at that caliber."

"You mean you do this kind of thing all the time?" Jin asked incredulously.

Jun shook her head. "No, I used to before, but I wanted to do something more with my life. I come from a family that's a bit…strange. We have a history of being 'highly spiritual'. We can see things that others can't. I'm just glad my abilities allowed me to do this. If only I had known sooner…but then, I wasn't especially open about myself when it came to these kinds of things. It's…well personal. He must have thought…there was nothing in this world that could really help him so he decided that isolation would be the lesser of the two evils. All of this, such a big misunderstanding." Jun found that she was rambling, but Jin didn't seem to mind. He seemed to be all ears. "Oh, nevermind all of that. Let's let those overanxious nurses in."

Jin had disregarded all the ruckus at the locked door, but he noticed it all again as Jun calmly opened the door to let them in. Jin glanced back at his father snoring lightly now—could this be the breakthrough he had been waiting for? Was it possible for his family to become whole once again? Jin had always thought the answer yes, but now he could be certain of it.

/

AN: A new beginning? Perhaps.


	21. All Hell Breaks Loose

AN: You know what I've noticed? Jun and Jin's name are really similar. It gets a bit confusing when you talk about them in the same sentence. Hopefully, you'll forgive me if I type Jin and instead of Jun (or vice versa) anywhere here—I try to catch my mistakes though. Anyways, enjoy.

Chapter 21: All Hell Breaks Loose

Jin was sitting down in his usual seat next to his father. Jun had taken to looking out the window. She wore a forlorn look, but Jin had no idea what she could possibly be miserable about. It wasn't as if Kazuya was at the brink of death anymore. They had successfully escaped the research facility and eventually they would be going home. Everything was looking up as far as Jin was concerned. Yet she was more often than not standing near the window and staring endlessly. Jin thought he wasn't going to say anything, but on the third day, he did.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Jin asked trying to sound concerned, but he doubted he was able to hide the exasperation from his voice.

She looked over to where he sat. "There's a van out there—a big white one—and it's unmarked. I haven't seen anyone come in or come out of it this whole time nor has it ever left."

Jin's eyes grew a little bigger. "Really? Let me see."

Jin had completely forgotten the fact that she was supposed to be keeping an out for any signs of G Corporation. He had assumed that since they hadn't physically come into the room and tried to take Kazuya by force that they might have given up. It never crossed his mind they could be trying another tactic, one less obvious. Jin was already at the window looking down at the large parking lot below. It just so happened that they had a room with a good view of the whole thing. Or could it be…?

Jin looked up at his mother when a sudden realization came over him. "Has that been there the whole time? Were they…?"

Jun nodded. "They must have been watching us. They know that we're here and if they can see us, then, of course, we can see them. I don't believe in coincidences. This room can easily be seen from this parking lot. When I walked down this hall, I noticed that there weren't many patients here. In fact, there was only one. I looked downstairs and saw that there were many empty rooms as well. I spoke with the nurses. This is one of their newer wings. Then I asked how it was they chose which room to place patients. Of course, it depends on what the patient is being treated for, but they try to keep their patients relatively close to one another—less walking around. They'll only change this fact if the patient asks specifically to be placed elsewhere. As you know, we did no such thing so why were we placed in a nearly deserted hall?"

"You don't really think…" Jin began.

Jun nodded again. "The nurses could only say that they were told to place Kazuya in a room away from the other patients. By who; none of the nurses were very clear on. They'll follow what they're ordered to do if it comes from someone in a higher position."

"Then what are we still doing here? We have to leave right now," Jin said frantically.

"G Corporation is waiting for the most opportune moment. They must know of Kazuya's condition. They don't want him to die so at the moment, we both have the same goals. They must be able to keep tabs on Kazuya and they know that for now, he's being treated well here. Why change something if it's working in their favor? But, Jin, I think now is the time to leave. G Corporation will still be waiting and we'll have the element of surprise. I don't think they expect us to make a move right now—we've been so idle thus far."

Jin went at once to wake his father, but Jun placed a steadying hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"That's not a good idea. Let him rest. This bed can move."

Jin turned to her and watched as she went to the only closet in the room and took out a surgeon's uniform.

"I'll put this on and I'll pretend as if we're moving him to another wing of the hospital. You'll be the concerned son, as you already are."

"Wait, will that work? We can't just go around moving beds. They'll figure out it's a fake."

"That's a risk we'll have to take. Look, Kazuya won't be able to keep up with us on his own. This is how we must get out of here. Besides, I won't bring too much attention to myself. What are the odds that we run into a nurse who actually knows everyone that works here? This is a relatively big hospital."

Before Jin could ask anything more, Jun was already headed for the bathroom. In a few minutes, Jun had switched. She placed her clothes on the bed hidden from sight under the blankets. She gave Jin a knowing look who nodded back at her.

"There's a few things I have to do first."

Jun looked over at the monitor and quickly turned it off. "The machine would go off immediately as soon as it no longer senses his vitals and the nurses would be alerted." She took off the metal clasp that had been securely placed on one of Kazuya's fingers.

Kazuya was still hooked up to a hanging bag, one that the doctor had insisted he had since they didn't think it safe for him to eat orally. Without hesitation, she took off the clear tape that had been used to hold the insertion in place in his arm. Jun took out a cotton ball from one of the nearby drawers and then placed it onto his skin as she carefully took out the needle. Jin watched with interest.

"How do you know how to do all this?" Jin asked.

"I used to take care of animals. Not the same thing, I know, but there are a lot of similarities. Besides, once upon a time I used to watch TV," she said with a grin.

The whole time, Kazuya did not stir completely oblivious to the world or anything Jun was doing. That meant he also couldn't protest if he thought her entire plan to be foolhardy. Jin was almost certain that he would have said so had he been awake. He wondered if that was exactly the reason she hadn't wanted to wake him. It was too late now to think along those lines. Jun was already pushing the bed out.

Once it was rolling, Jun found it quite easy to move. Jin followed along obediently. They were stopped only one time by a watchful nurse, but Jun sounded quite convincing as she explained that she had a patient prepped for surgery. Jin couldn't believe it was working.

"See?" Jun said to Jin when they were safely in the elevator. "People aren't very likely to rock the boat if everything appears kosher at the surface. That's the kind of world we live in. Now, we're getting out of here."

When they got to the first floor, they took the side entrance to avoid any more nurses. They'd look beyond suspicious rolling a hospital bed outside to the parking lot. Jin noticed that the car was parked closer than it had been before. Had she been planning their escape route for this long?

"You're going to have to help me put your father in the back—he's pretty heavy."

Jin could only nod. He couldn't stop himself for looking around for any signs of movement. There was no one for now, but Jin could clearly see the unmarked van. The sooner they could get into the car, the better. Jun carefully lowered the bed and then motioned for the other to help.

"Easy now—we don't want to wake him," Jun said for good measure.

"Why's that?" Jin asked.

"Well, it'd be pretty rude, don't you think?" she answered.

Jin gave her an unconvincing look.

"This isn't the time to go into big long explanation, alright."

Kazuya felt more like deadweight as Jin helped his mother out. Heavy had been an understatement. More like they were trying to move a ton of cinderblocks in human form. Jin suspected that Jun was doing most of the work. When they successfully transferred him to the car he was just beginning to sweat, but Jun didn't look the least bit tired out. She stretched her muscles for a moment and then closed the car door.

"What are we going to do about the hospital bed?" Jin asked.

But Jun was no longer looking at him. He knew instinctively that someone was behind him.

"Jin, don't look back and step into the car as quickly as you can. I'll do the same."

In a split second, Jun leaped into the action rushing to get to the driver's side and Jin was clawing at the door's handle to get inside. He didn't need to look back; he knew that they must have been found. They couldn't worry about the hospital bed at the moment. It was already forgotten as Jun turned on the car swiftly and was backing out just as quickly. Jin chanced looking behind himself and saw two rather large men and they held something dark and metal in their hands. At the moment, they were scrambling out the way of the car, but he could tell what they held.

"Mom!" Jin said urgently.

"I know they have guns," Jun said curtly, "They won't shoot us now. They wouldn't want him to come to any harm."

Jun was frantically shifting gears after they backed out far enough. Soon they were shooting down the street. There were speed bumps, but she ignored them. The car trembled and jostled under the sudden elevations. When she swerved the car out into the main road, Jin heard as his father's head thumped into the car door. It had been enough to finally wake him, Jin knew, as he heard the other curse. At the moment, he wouldn't have a clue as to why he was in a car or how he had gotten here. Jin imagined the other might be ultimately freaking out, for lack of a better term.

Jun was concentrating on the road ahead as her foot stepped even harder on the gas. It was hard to tell if she knew that the other had woken.

"What the…_hell_!" Kazuya managed to say loud enough, but his voice had an obvious slur to it.

Jin looked to the backseat and watched as Kazuya struggled to sit up, but eventually gave up as if it were too much for him to do at the moment. Jun had been right. He would not have been able to move quickly enough had they woken him sooner. The look of confusion was plain for all to see on his face.

"G Corp found us," Jin said getting his father's attention.

His eyes looked unfocused even as they looked at Jin. Jin got the feeling that even if he did explain the entire situation to Kazuya that he wouldn't understand.

"Jin, don't bother," Jun ordered, her eyes still glued to the road. "Let him rest. He's still quite lethargic and he'll be that way for some time."

"For how long?" Jin asked as he turned back around in his seat. Kazuya had already fallen back to sleep.

"Not now," Jun said. "Let's wait until we're a bit safer."

Jin looked to the back window now and could see the big white van in the distance, but they were getting further and further away. Jun drove like a madman and the van couldn't possibly keep up.

"Grab hold of something, we're going to the interstate."

Jin did so automatically. Just as the white van disappeared into the distance, they swerved into the ramp and lost the van completely. They were practically skidding around the curves. Jun laughed joyously despite the situation.

"Now _that's_ what I call drifting!" she shouted.

One moment, Jin was fearful of his life as they drove at top speeds and in another moment he was looking at his mother in awe. She was completely in her element and enjoying herself just like before. Jin realized that he had never seen her so happy before not in real life and not at this age.

They sped down the highway now and Jun showed no signs of slowing down as she swerved passed car after car. If Kazuya had woken up again Jin hadn't noticed. His eyes too were glued on the road witnessing all the close calls. There was nothing he could do if they actually hit someone at this speed, but he watched nonetheless. It wasn't until half an hour that Jun finally decided to slow down. Jin peered over at the fuel gauge and noticed that it was one tick line below half tank. Jin's heart was beating a mile a minute, but now he could calm himself as he took a deep breath.

Jun glanced over at him apologetically, "Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. We had to get away from those guys. Do you think it's safe now?"

"I don't know, but the car couldn't take much more of that and I'm using up the gas much too fast. We need to save it for the road ahead."

"How are we getting home?" Jin asked.

"We need to get to an airport. Obviously, I can't use the same one from before. We're well passed it and I _don't_ want to turn back around into the lion's den." Jun looked over at Jin then. "There's something I've always wanted to ask you, Jin. How did you get to Nebraska without a passport or even ID?"

"I pretended I was someone else, I guess. There was this group of kids going on a trip and the lady mistook me as the last person they'd been missing and gave me my ticket."

"Do you realize how coincidental that was?" Jun asked incredulously, "I guess it was true what they said—you were 'guided' here."

"They? Who? I thought there was something or someone else helping me out the whole time. I couldn't have done it on my own."

"It's…complicated. I can't figure out how to really say it. Let's just say that somewhere deep down, your father really wanted to see you."

Jin gave her a questioning look.

"Oh, alright, I'll tell you if you really want to know. Your father's soul was fragmented, most of it cast out by the evil spirit known as Devil that inhabited him since he was a child. Devil took advantage of his weakened state and did this. His soul—as least part of it—had become part of this world and took on forms that resembled him and they became like…ghosts, if you will. Souls are always attached to a body, when it is detached, this is what happens. They become attracted to a place or person that resonate the most with them and try to attach themselves to it. There was something your father had wanted and they tried to fulfill that want the best way they knew how."

"He wanted me?" Jin asked mystified.

"It's not as simple as that," Jun said with a sigh, "But you were part of it and they were able to get through to you, not me. Think, Jin, what would be your deepest desire if you had for most of your life felt alone?"

Then Jin understood as his eyes returned to the road. "I get it now."

"Good because there's a more pressing matter we have to deal with. How are we getting back?"

"I thought you said the airport?"

"I guess we can try there. We may run into some problems with you. No passport, remember? And how are we going to bring Kazuya as well? He can barely move."

"Oh yeah. What's wrong with him? Why can't he move?"

Jun looked at the other exasperatedly, "It's just question after question with you, isn't it? But I know your heart is in the right place." She continued looking at the road for a few seconds and then began. "You know what I did with your father, correct?"

Jin nodded.

"I used some of his life force. Although, some is putting it gentle. Devil was already well integrated with Kazuya to the point that they were practically one person. It's like when you dig a hole for something. The deeper you make the hole the harder it will be to dig that something back up when the time comes. I had to work harder to take away Devil's hold on Kazuya and I had to make it permanent. I alone couldn't do it but with Kazuya's help since he had given me permission to do whatever I needed to, I could do it. Life force is something we're all born with. It's the energy that keeps us alive. It's the energy that allows us to recover ourselves once we're tired or sick. It allows us to function. That's the energy that I used and one's life force isn't so quick to regenerate. As long as there's some left it can still be done, but it will take some time. Only rest can help him now. He won't be especially lucid and he probably won't be able to respond to overly complicated situations. Physically, he won't be able to move very much."

"When you say 'some time', how long?"

"Years, Jin. Years."

"That long?!" Jin said with shock. "Shouldn't we have waited to deal with this Devil thing later when we're safe?"

"Time wasn't on our side. The longer I wait, the harder it would be. Devil knew my intentions. Eventually, it would have been impossible to remove. I had to act quickly."

Jin hadn't known that his father had been awake listening until he turned to look back at him. He couldn't be sure if he had comprehended any of it.

"Where…?" Kazuya asked to Jin when he noticed him looking.

"We're in a car," Jin said as simply as possible.

"No," he said struggling with words in general. He seemed beyond annoyed at the moment, "Where…are we going?"

"The nearest airport," Jin answered.

"Jin, don't bother," Jun repeated, "He won't really understand."

But Jin begged to differ. Kazuya seemed to understand what she was saying as he sighed exasperatedly.

"It's not…It's not…safe," he managed to say.

"Don't encourage him," Jun said to Jin. "He just needs to rest. Leave him be."

As unfocused as his eyes seemed, Jin could sense that he really wanted to say something, but for some reason just couldn't.

"No…Jun…" he continued incoherently.

"Kazuya, you'll just have to trust me," Jun said looking back now. "Trust that I've thought everything through and that _this_ is the best way. Just trust me. That's all you have to do. No matter if you don't understand everything that's happening now."

"I trust you."

It was the clearest, full sentence that Jin had heard his father say in a while. Jun seemed satisfied and her full attention was back on the road.

"Good. Then do me a favor. Shut-up and go back to sleep."

Jin looked at his mother a little startled, but he heard no protest from his father. In fact, he did exactly as she ordered. When he looked back, he found his father quite motionless and asleep. Still, Jin couldn't imagine saying such things to his father for fear of his life.

"That's better. Jin, I think it's better if I keep driving for a while. If there's an airport, the road signs will let me know. Keep an eye out for any signs with an airplane symbol as well."

So they drove and they drove for hours on end. The whole time, Jin saw no picture of an airplane and for some reason he was beginning to feel more and more tense. Jun, however, seemed every bit calm and relaxed. Why shouldn't she be? Everything was going according to plan. They had escaped G Corp once and for all and soon they'd find an airport. Really, all she had to concern herself with was Jin's ID and how she was going to bring Kazuya along, but these were small issues compared to getting out of harm's way. They were safe now—together and utterly safe.

In the late hours of the night when even Jin was beginning to doze off, she decided to pull off to the side of the street to take a quick nap. It was never a good idea to drive while tired and she was only then beginning to feel that way. While she still had the chance, she got out of the car and retrieved at least the jacket she had been wearing. It was getting to be quite chilly outside at night.

"How much longer?" Jin complained as Jun got back into the car. "I haven't seen any of those signs yet."

"Tomorrow I'm sure we'll find something."

Jin could only nod. He peered out the window beside him and gazed at the dark clusters of trees. It was the same kind of trees he'd seen all along, but now that he was up close and it was much darker, they seemed far spookier. He'd lived around trees all his life, but these trees were foreign to him; anything could pop out of there. With a shiver, he dared himself to keep looking, but soon he grew tired of his game and turned front again. He listened to the swooshing sounds of the cars passing. There were less of them. He watched as light after light sped by his vision. It was entrancing. He was so used to them passing by after a few minutes that when one of those lights slowed down and pulled over, it immediately got his attention. When it got close enough, he could make out the vehicle's large size and its white color. He suddenly became cold and still. It looked exactly like the van they had been pursuing them. For a moment, he was too scared to even move, but when the door on the driver's side opened, it quickly threw him out his trance.

"Mom!" Jin whispered anxiously.

Jun must have only been sleeping lightly because she was awake in the wink of an eye. "What is it?"

"The white van. It's there, right there behind us."

"Are you…?" Jun looked back in an instant and knew in that moment that they had been caught.

The man who had stepped out the van advanced upon the car quickly now. Jun twisted the key that was still in the ignition, but she stopped when she heard gunfire.

"Duck!" she cried.

Jin did so, but none of the shots had been aimed at them.

"Oh, no," Jin heard his mom gasp. "The tires are out. We won't be able to go far without those."

Jun had locked the door so when the man tried to open the driver's side door, he was met with resistance. But then suddenly, the door was unlocked.

"Shit, it's an automatic…they must have something."

Jun had scarcely finished her sentence when the man ripped open the door and then was grabbing Jun out of the car. Jin, instinctively, caught one of Jun's arms and pulled back until Jun gave him a look that made him stop. The situation had become hopeless. Still Jun wasn't about to give the man an easy job. She writhed and twisted wildly and the man's strong grasp. In an instant, Jun had the upper hand. She got one of her arms free and elbowed the man hard in the chest. She fell down from his grasp onto the ground and instantly she was on her feet again. Jin simply couldn't believe what he was seeing from his passenger seat. His mom might just be able to break free for good. But then he heard two distinct shots from the van and Jin ducked reflexively. The next moment, he was looking up again and his mother had fallen.

"Mom!" Jin shouted hysterically, "Mom! What happened?! What did you do to her?!"

The man yelled something back to the other who had just stepped out of the van. In that moment, Jin turned to the back of the car. There was only one option left and it didn't really seem like an option. He began to shake his father almost violently and screamed his name as urgently and loudly as he could. There was nothing more he could think to do. His antics were cut short when his door was opened as well and he was grabbed just as easily as his mother had. He squirmed wildly in the man's grasp. The man yelled at him viciously in a language he couldn't understand, but it didn't matter; Jin didn't want to listen to anything the man had to say. The tragedy of the moment hadn't quite hit him, but he was hysterical and he shouted uncontrollably. He just wanted to hit something hard and that man happened to be there. Then everything went dark.

For a long moment, Jin thought he must have been knocked unconscious, but, no, he had been dropped onto the ground. Something must have happened to the man. Jin, breathless, turned around and saw not the man from before, but his father.

"Stay there," his father ordered and Jin did just that.

He heard two more gunshots and then as a large body fell to the ground with soft thud, but then everything became silent. Jin held his breath. He couldn't be sure what had happened. He shivered involuntarily when he heard the sound of disturbed gravel.

"Where is she? Where's your mother?"

It was Kazuya's voice and Jin let out a sigh of relief. Jin had been on the ground, but he stood up when he heard his father's questioning voice. From the light of the white van, Jin could see his father clearly. There was a certain clarity to his eyes that had been lacking before. He showed no signs of weakness as he had before when they had been escaping the research facility. He seemed, well, _whole_.

"She was shot," Jin said quickly. "She's on the other side."

Kazuya had already left to investigate. Jin followed in suit. He couldn't be sure if his father was put off by the amount of blood that had already been spilt, but Jin was. He could hardly look and guiltily turned away.

"You'll be alright," Jin heard Kazuya say.

Then he heard his mother's voice, weakened now. "Kazuya…it can't be. How is it possible? Did you take care of those men?"

"They won't bother us anymore. Enough about them."

Jin looked back just in time to see his father lift her up effortlessly into his arms.

"Kazuya, don't. Please, don't wear yourself out."

"Don't worry about me," Kazuya stated quite plainly.

"But you don't understand," Jun argued with more force than Jin thought she was capable of at the moment. "It's different for you, Kazuya; you'll die if you push yourself too hard."

Kazuya was already carrying the other towards the idling van. Jin didn't know what the other was planning to do, but he followed nonetheless.

"Put me down, Kazuya, I mean it. I can manage on my own."

For the longest time, Kazuya was silent until they reached the back of the van.

"I think it's time you trusted me for a change. You weigh next to nothing to me and if I don't bandage your wounds soon, you'll be the one dying." Then Kazuya turned to Jin. "Do you think you can drive this thing?"

Jin was caught off guard by this question. He couldn't think of an answer straight off the bat. He'd never driven a day in his life, but he had watched both his mom and father do it and it had seemed easy enough. They'd driven fast, sporty cars not large, bulky vans.

"Don't make me repeat myself," Kazuya warned when he didn't receive an answer fast enough.

Then Jin shook his. "No…I don't think so."

"Is it beyond your capabilities? I'll tell you what to do. There's hardly any cars on the road at this hour—you're less likely to run into anybody."

"But I've never driven _anything_ before," Jin insisted. He couldn't believe his father was asking him to do something so…reckless. He could wind up getting them all killed with a simple snap of the finger. Not to mention, it was night time.

"It's not that difficult. Jin, will you do this for me? It's very important that you do. I'll guide you until you have the hang of it. I wouldn't ask you to do something I didn't think you could handle."

Jin could only stare at the other, but he could tell that his father was being very serious about his request. Then Kazuya's eyes were no longer on Jin as he opened the back doors and climbed in.

"Go to the driver's seat," Kazuya ordered.

He didn't leave much room for argument so Jin finally just went to the front seat. There were simply too many things that could go wrong. When he sat down, he looked to the back. There was practically a small hospital in the back of the van. Jin was taken aback. It was all too convenient.

"How exactly do you think they'd be able to transport a person who may or may not be able to move on his own?" Kazuya said when he noticed Jin looking.

Jin watched as Kazuya rummaged around for bandages and other paraphernalia. Jun was already unconscious. She didn't make a sound as Kazuya gently took off her jacket and was about to lift up her shirt when he glanced over at Jin who was still watching.

"Eyes to the front," he said abruptly. "See if you can reach the two pedals with your feet. Move your chair however far you need to so that your feet can touch them comfortably, but not too close if you don't want to get a cramp in your leg."

Jin dared not look back. He concentrated instead on the situation at hand. He readjusted his seat a few times until he thought he was in a relatively good position.

"Make sure you can look at what going on behind the car with the rear view mirrors."

Jin, a little shorter than the men who had driven the van had to change all three of the mirrors to what he thought was a good position. He felt the time when he would actually have to drive this thing was drawing nearer and nearer. He grew more and more tense.

"The rear view mirrors can see many things behind you, but not all. There are blind spots. If you're not sure if someone's beside you or not, just look out the window beside you and see for yourself. Don't worry about switching lanes just stay in the right most one."

"Okay," Jin said quietly.

"You're on edge, that's a good thing. You'll be more alert. You'll have a faster reaction time if anything goes wrong. Just…resist the urge to press the brakes every five seconds. If you want to slow down only a little and you have room, just let go of the gas instead. And relax a little, this isn't rocket science—it's just you pressing and releasing the gas and steering. Do you know about the stick shift?—it's pretty self-explanatory since it's an automatic."

"I know how to use it. D for drive. P for park. R for reverse."

"Yes. Good. You'll have to hit the breaks to move the stick. Remember that."

Jin had closed his eyes at that moment and concentrated on his father's voice. He seemed to be the only one confident in his ability to drive. He didn't understand why. Why would his father ever trust him with something so big?

"Seat belt."

Jin quickly put on his seat belt. It was something he already knew to do which made him feel just a little comfortable.

"Now tell me, what would you do first to move the van?" Kazuya asked.

"Shift gears," Jin answered.

"And how would you do that?"

"Um…press the breaks and move the stick?"

"Yes, exactly. Then what?"

"I'd hit the gas."

"Would you?"

Jin began to doubt himself. "Yes…?"

"What are those rear view mirrors for?"

"Oh, yeah, I'd look first and then hit the gas."

"Yes. Just like looking both ways before you cross the street. Same principle."

"Okay."

"Once you're out on the road, the speed limit is 60 miles per hour. The speedometer will tell you how fast you're going. It's right behind the steering wheel. You see it?"

"Yeah."

"When you get tired, just stop on the side of the street. Slow down first and then pull over and stop. You'd hit the breaks and then put the car in park. Make sure you turn off the car if you do."

"And watch out for the gas gauge, as well?"

"Of course. If you see the gas light turn on—it'll look like a gas pump—pull over as soon as you can. Otherwise, when you see the line near E, just pull over when you can. Now, see if you can get this van out onto the street."

Jin gulped and then followed through methodically on what Kazuya had told him to do. He heard as bandages were being unwrapped and applied to his mother's wounds. He must have been cleaning them this whole time. He gently pressed the gas, but then he pressed a little harder to get out of the gravel. Then suddenly he was out on the road and he turned the steering wheel a little too sharply in his surprise.

"Calm yourself. Nothing should ever be done quickly unless it's someone running into you or something," Kazuya said.

Jin took a deep breath and turned his steering wheel with less vigor as his foot pressed on the gas. Soon he was in the rightmost lane driving down the highway. At first, he drove slowly, but gradually he sped up.

"Is Mom gonna' be alright," Jin willed himself to ask with eyes glued exclusively to the road ahead.

"She'll be fine. One of the bullets didn't go through all the way. Had to take it out, but the bullet seemed intact so there shouldn't be any shards left over. She's still breathing if that's what you're asking. Luckily she is unconscious. It would have been painful otherwise."

"Mom said you wouldn't be able to move for a long time. She said something about your life force being too low or something. But you're fine now, right?"

Jin waited for the other to respond, but when he didn't immediately, Jin was too frightened to take his eyes off the road to look back.

"To be honest, I think your mother is right."

"But then how…?"

"Adrenaline. That's what I'm working on right now, but it won't last. That's why I need you to drive. Out of all of us, you're the only one who can do it. G Corporation may not have given up and I don't like staying at the scene of the crime. Any police could drive by and that would be it. Your mother had a plan—a good one, but we'll have to deviate for now."

"Dad…are you scared I might run into something? _That's_ why you're okay now?"

"No. If there's anything you are, it's resourceful."

"Then what?"

"Your mother, she's looks rather weak right now. I've done all I can so the only thing left to do is wait. Do you think you can handle the van on your own?"

"The steering was kind of weird, but I think I got it."

"Good. Keep driving for as long as you can until either you tire of the gas goes out."

"You're…going back to sleep?"

"You'll be fine, Jin. Trust in your own abilities."

"But what if I have any questions?"

"Then wake me."

"But you're all the way back there, I can't reach you."

"Then make the best of the situation."

"But—

"Enough of your buts. You're driving right now and that's all I really wanted you to do. You see that it's easy. Don't waste your energy worrying. Now, continue as you are."

"But, I'm afraid…I can't do this alone. Dad?"

"You're not alone…" Kazuya replied wearily. "You're protecting those who you love most."

Jin could already hear the weariness in the other's voice, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted his father to stay with him for as long as he could so he continued to talk.

"I'm too young for that," Jin declared.

"You're not. Trust me…you're not."

"But how can you be so certain?"

"You have…good sense…" Kazuya began. Jin could tell that he was struggling with his words now. "Your mother…she raised you well…and you understand—no, you have integrity…a strong sense of integrity…Strange, I can't really find…the right words. Just keep driving, alright?"

"I will. Just—please stay with me."

Jin was only presented with deafening silence. His father never said another word. He listened closely and heard as his father's breathing became much deeper. It was too late and Jin was left to himself driving. He knew he was being selfish. He knew his mother had insisted that, Kazuya rest, but that did not change the fact that he was here right now driving a van on his own at night. The fear was palpable but for some reason, all he could do was keep his foot steady on the gas. He drove forth endlessly, anxiety fueling his wakefulness.

/

AN: Off topic, but I really want that FFXIV game! I was a beta for the game recently and it ended yesterday. I don't usually play Elder Scroll-y games like that, but it was pretty fun. I got shamelessly addicted and I actually _liked_ creating my own character here. I know it hasn't come out yet and I'm not sure if I'll have the finances to get it, but to jump the gun: if you notice a character named Jasper Bloodstone(main) or Malachi Firewright(alt)—that's one of mine (both guys even though I'm a girl).

Anyways, I'm really enjoying myself with this story. Maybe I've seen too many action movies, but I'm really having fun. Stay tuned for another action-packed chapter!


	22. To The Airport

Chapter 22: To The Airport

Jin had no idea how long he drove, but it felt like an entire day. The sun just wouldn't come up for some reason. Jin mechanically drove at 60 miles per hour and the few cars that happened to be out on the road wind up going around him. Jin was glad for it—he wanted to be the only one on the road. He knew he'd become more anxious than he already was if there was someone constantly behind or beside him. After a while, he finally began to relax. Nothing jumped out at him. It was just like his father had described it to be—steering and holding the gas. Every once in a while he would look at the fuel gauge, but the meter hardly seemed to move despite driving for such a long time. He thought he'd stop when the meter showed that the gas went down a fourth of the way, but that would take longer than he anticipated. He contemplated several times until he found it difficult to hold the van steady on the road as his eyelids drooped. His heart caught in his throat when he found himself swerving off the side of the street. He quickly moved back onto the lane and decided he'd stop at the next rest stop. He'd passed several of them already and they were well lit places. He didn't think he'd feel at all comfortable parking the car in a secluded and completely dark area. Though he had been told to stop on the side of the street, he decided he'd do things a little different. When he saw the next rest stop, he gently slowed down the car and parked far away from the other cars—he knew he couldn't park very well having never done it. He came into the parking space a little too fast and drove over the rather high curb with a violent lurch. His arms stiffened as the force pushed him forth. Surprised, he pressed the brakes, switched to reverse, and hit the gas once again all in one breath. He backed up almost as quickly as he had come before and the front part of the van crashed back down to the lower street. Calming himself, Jin pressed the breaks again and switched to drive. This time he gently pressed the gas and stopped abruptly before he hit the curb once again. When he finally had the car in park and turned off the car, he let out a sigh of relief.

"That was some parking."

Surprised to hear his father's voice, Jin looked to the back of the van. He seemed wide awake. Jin wondered if this was due to his poor parking skills or if he had already been awake for a while. He couldn't be sure. He also noticed that he had changed clothes. There must have been a spare set of clothes in the back as well. Jin wondered if the two men had actually been _living_ in this van as it seemed to have so much supplies. There was no sign of food, however, as far as he could tell.

"Sorry," Jin replied.

"I would ask where we are, but I suppose you couldn't read the road signs."

Jin shook his head no. "I didn't want to stop on the side of the road."

"Perhaps it's better that you didn't."

"Dad, are you…feeling alright?"

"Will you stop asking me that?" Kazuya said in agitated tones. "We may not be in the clear. We have their van; they may be able to track us in it."

"Really?"

"Who knows?—but it's better to be safe than sorry. We're surrounded by other cars—I think it'd be a good idea to take one for our own use."

"But that would be stealing!"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Well, we're not that desperate. You have no idea if we're being tracked or not. I mean, if we take someone's car, that person will be stranded. Do you really want to do that to somebody?"

"Don't be so dramatic."

"But what if that person is _never_ able to go anywhere and stays here forever?"

"It's highly unlikely. This is a rest stop. It has fully functioning phones. If anything else, they can simply call the police. Now, I don't feel like arguing about the finer points of morality. We can't stay here and _that's_ my final decision."

Jin pouted a little when he watched his father take Jun into his arms once again and make his way out of the back of the van. Jin climbed out of the van as well and went to his father's side. The entire place was well lit and Jin could see his father clearly for the first time in a while. His eyes were already searching for an abandoned car. His skin was covered with a thin film of sweat as if he was doing exactly what his mother had told him not to do—wearing himself out. But Jin doubted it would make a difference if he said something about it. He just seemed tired even if he wasn't breathing hard and even if he wouldn't admit it. Jin thought he'd do him a favor and just follow whatever it was he wanted to do without so much questioning.

"That van was pretty stuffy. Just two windows for the whole thing," Kazuya commented as his eyes followed a car that just pulled in to the rest stop. "Just one man in that one."

Jin followed his gaze.

"If he goes to the restrooms, it will be the best time to take it."

"What if the keys aren't in there?"

"They probably won't be."

"Then how are going to—" Jin stopped himself when he remembered that he wouldn't bother his father with so many questions for now.

Kazuya seemed not to be paying attention after Jin stopped midway and watched the man intently. The man eventually left his car to go to the restroom. That was when the two of them went into action. Kazuya tried the driver's side and found it locked. Then he tried one of the backseats and opened it easily. He placed Jun in the back carefully and then proceeded to unlocking the driver's side and then the passenger's side. Jin automatically sat down on the passenger's seat and watched as his father slipped out what looked like a thin screwdriver from his side pocket. He jumped a bit despite himself when his father with little hesitation jammed the driver into where the key should have gone. Jin could have sworn he had broken something and that the car would never turn on, but then he watched as the screwdriver was turned and the car sprang to life. Jin looked on incredulously. Was it really that simple to steal a car?

Kazuya drove quickly almost recklessly. He threw the car in reverse, whipped the car backwards, and never stopped pressing the gas as he swerved the car out of the parking lot and onto the interstate. Jin held his breath the whole time. He'd never seen his father drive like that. Between his mother and father, Jin thought his father to be the most responsible when it came to driving. At that moment, his thoughts changed. Jin watched the speedometer. At first it was 60, but it quickly increased more and more until it reached over a hundred, more over a hundred than his mother had ever reached. It was as if he was racing, but Jin couldn't understand why.

"Dad, geez, you don't have to drive so fast!" Jin said loudly.

They passed by a blue sign and Jin only caught it out the side of his eye.

"Sorry," Kazuya said offhandedly, "We'll slow down in a bit."

And they did just that in a matter of minutes. The rest spot seemed only identical to the last one, but this one had far less cars. Kazuya didn't care how he parked seeing as the parking lot was virtually deserted. When they fully stopped, he rested his head on the steering wheel.

"Listen, Jin, I still need you to drive."

"But, Dad, I—

"No buts. Your mother may not be strong enough tomorrow to do anything and I…" he paused then as if he didn't want to continue. Then began again. "I can hardly keep my eyes open and everything is just spinning let alone trying to focus on keeping a damn car straight. We can't just linger in one place—you'll have to drive."

Jin understood what his father was saying, he even understood his reasoning, but that didn't change the fact that he'd be driving underage. Wasn't that illegal? The thought of driving scared him half the death. It was an irrational fear. He'd driven and it hadn't been so hard to do. In fact, now would be easier since they had a car.

"Dad," Jin began solemnly.

"Just do it," Kazuya said before Jin could finish his thought. He climbed out of the car then. "Switch seats with me."

Jin simply obeyed. When Kazuya looked at him, he noticed that his eyes were red rimmed and Jin knew for certain that he was deathly tired. It explained why he had driven so fast: not simply to get there faster, but for adrenaline's sake. Otherwise, he quite possibly would have fallen asleep while driving. The realization made his heart skip a beat. He really was the only one who could drive marginally safely at this point. They switched seats promptly.

"The next morning whenever you wake up just keep going down the road. We're looking for an airport. Look for the airplane symbol, then take that exit. After that, just find a place to park—on the side of the street, gas station, wherever. Then wake me, alright?"

Jin could only nod surprised that his father could still speak coherently. He watched as his father leaned the chair back a little. He fell asleep instantly and Jin was left to himself once again. He rolled down his window before long and even opened the car door. For some reason, he felt wide awake.

Everything was in limbo. He had no idea whether they would actually make it back home or not. G Corp could still be after them. Who knew if Mom really was okay or actually needed expert medical attention? Who knew if Jin could continue to drive as successfully as he had before with far more cars on the street with him? Who knew if his father wouldn't just die from exhaustion or if he'd even wake up the next time? Everything could go wrong. In fact, it seemed headed in that direction. It couldn't just be up to him. Yet he was the only one left, well and fit. The ball seemed in his court. He could come up with an incredible, fail-proof plan right now and execute it without any fuss from either of his parents—they'd be too weak to protest. Jin shook his head. The only problem was…he had no such plans. He felt almost as useless as his parents at that moment.

Jin forced himself to fall asleep a few hours later. He was to be driving and Jin hoped to use as many hours in the day as he could for that.

/

Jun woke up with a jarring ache in her left shoulder and right side. For the moment, that was all that concerned her. As one of her hands touched the sore areas, she realized that they had been bandages and with a closer look, she decided that whoever had done it did a very good job. They were tight and snug enough to stop the blood flow. They were bullet wounds, her mind finally told her. Those two men had tried to get into the car. Jun's eyes tried to make out the setting. She knew immediately that she was in a smaller vehicle—it was no longer the van. She panicked only for a split second before her ears picked up the familiar sounds of sleeping in front of her—Jin and Kazuya. She was quite certain of this even before she turned her head to look further down the car. She could see Kazuya as his chair was leaned back. The seat that was in front of her had to be Jin. She let out a sigh of relief. She had no idea how they had gotten there and she didn't feel like trying to figure any of it out. She didn't even begin to question why Jin happened to be in the driver's seat. She was just glad to be safe and alive. She was glad that her family was still intact.

Her eyes wandered over to Kazuya again—serene and peaceful; just as he always looked if he wasn't afflicted with nightmares or worry. One would think there was cause for worry at that point, but Jun was beginning to believe that this time they really had escaped G Corp for good. Jun used the handle on the back of the driver's side chair. It took more effort than she estimated, but she eventually pulled it off. She didn't want to wake Kazuya, now that he was actually taking her advice, but for some reason there was something she couldn't get off of her mind. She had expected to hate him the moment she ever caught sight of him again. She expected she'd want to make him feel miserable for all the time she was left on her own to raise Jin. But those feelings never came—not really. She _didn't_ expect to be falling in love with him again. He hadn't done anything special. He acted as he usually did and he hadn't given her any indication as to whether he himself still felt anything for her. Their relationship was built on unspoken assumptions. It was always hard to be sure about things or how the other was feeling. Perhaps that was one of their failings. There was only one way they knew how to combat this.

She bent over so that she was closer to him, close enough to speak in his ear.

"Kazuya," she said softly at first, then she spoke a little louder, "Kazuya."

Somehow, she knew he'd respond to her voice. She had overestimated just how weakened he'd be after what she did in the hospital or she had underestimated how much pain he could withstand. Either way, she had been wrong. He turned to her with a questioning look. They were both trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake Jin. It was the first time in a long time they'd been in each other's presence without any hard feelings.

"Just lay back, okay?" Jun said quietly.

There was more confusion from him but he obeyed. Jun took her time as she propped herself up on the center compartment. There was still the pain, but she was ignoring it for now. She was sure he wanted to ask what she wanted, but she didn't allow him to do so as she lowered herself to his level and trapped the words in a full-fledged kiss. She knew she had startled him, but his hesitation faded quickly and he responded just as passionately if not more so. He pulled her closer as if she wasn't close enough, as if she was in danger of pulling back. She wasn't planning on doing as much until she felt they were going too far not that it was even possible at this point. He stroked her hair and she paused as his touch sent shivers down her back. She grinned and reciprocated as she kissed more vigorously, but then stopped herself when she found herself wanting to peruse more than just his lips. She was so close now that she could smell his familiar scent—it was indescribable, it was simply something she could recognize readily. He continued to stroke her hair, but when she hesitated, he hesitated as well. Jun pulled back a little and grinned at the other yet he had a very serious expression as he studied her face. Perhaps he was trying to find something there, something that might justify her sudden need to be near him, but she gave him nothing. She had already found her answer and she was satisfied.

"Mom? You're awake?" came Jin's voice from right beside her.

It startled her out of her mind. She'd practically forgotten Jin was even there. Their moment was broken in an instant. She calmed herself before she turned to him.

"Yes, I'm fine. Your father did a good job wrapping me up," she turned to Kazuya briefly and gave him a smile. "How have you been doing?"

"I'm fine," Jin said. "Better than you two combined," he said jokingly.

"Well then maybe you can tell me why you're in the driver's seat."

Jin paused before he said anything. He didn't want to incriminate his father. He didn't want to give his mother any more reasons to dislike him. "I was driving," he said simply. He didn't mention that Kazuya had told him to do so.

"You were doing _what_?" Jun asked shocked. "How in the world do you know how to operate this thing? It's not like you grew up around cars. I don't even think you've _seen_ a person drive up close."

"Remember that dream I had? Well I watched you and Dad drive."

"You mean the only knowledge of driving you have is from a dream?"

"It's not like that," Jin said becoming desperate. He didn't want to upset his mother, but she seemed bent on working her own self up.

"Jin, this isn't like you at all. What possessed you to drive? I mean, how did we even get to this car? I'm petty sure this is not the one I was driving before."

"Jun," Kazuya finally said when Jin was at a loss of words, "I think it's better if I explained everything."

Jun turned to him when she heard him opening the door. Now it was her turn to give him a questioning look and what she got in return was a rather satisfied grin.

"And where are you going?" Jun asked.

"Need to stretch my legs. It's cramped in here."

Jun knew he was asking for her to follow in suit. It was obvious that he wanted to speak to her in private. She found she liked this fact. "I need some fresh air as well." When Jin decided that he'd step out as well, Jun gave him a stern look and shook her head no. He got the message and settled back down in his seat and simply stared out the driver's side window. Jun might have felt bad about forcing the other to stay in, but for some reason she didn't. It took her a moment, but after her valiant struggle off the middle compartment and back onto the backseat, she was finally able to step outside. After closing the door, she took a deep breath. She had been in a moving vehicle for far too long and stumbled a little when she took a small step forward, but Kazuya was there to abate her clumsiness as he took hold of her almost immediately upon exiting the car. She didn't protest. She found herself quite close to him and with his arms wrapped around her. She was turned forward though so that she could still come in contact with the open air. It was at times like these that she liked the fact that Kazuya was taller than she. They were able to pull off such intimate positions. She felt the rumble in his chest and the tickle of air on her ear as he then related to her just what had happened since her near death experience. She might have been a bit more upset over his decision to let Jin drive or the one where he decided to steal a car had she not felt so comfortable and safe. These decisions had already been made anyhow; there was nothing she could do about it and she didn't have the energy for that sort of thing.

"And where would you like to eat?" he asked her lastly.

She thought it was a strange question at first, but then she realized that she was ravenous the more she thought about it. "Anyplace that serves hot food would be fine. It's not like I've ever traveled out here before."

"I have. Before," he replied simply.

"What do you mean? Before what?"

"Before when I was with the Mishima Zaibatsu. I had a few ill-advised business meetings with G-Corporation. Nothing ever came of it, but I've been in this area."

"Kazuya, that's _great_ news. That means you know where an airport is, right?"

"I do. We're traveling in the right direction, at least. Airports are far and spread out. I'd say a two days ride and we've already driven for about a day."

"The real question is who's going to do the driving. We can't let Jin drive when we're perfectly capable of doing it ourselves."

"I wouldn't say perfectly, but capable enough. I'll do it."

"No," Jun said shaking her head. "You may feel alright now, but extended hours of wakefulness is your enemy. _I _can drive. There's less at risk."

"I don't want you moving around at all. Your wounds have barely started healing and you want to drive. You might reopen them in the process and that won't feel very nice."

"I can handle it. I promise. Besides, there's not much activity in moving a car."

"I don't like it. I understand your concerns, but I'm not nearly as _helpless_ as you think."

"I admit, maybe I overstated things before, but you still need rest, lots of it."

"Jun, I have more energy now."

"Good, then let's keep it that way," Jun said before the other could say anything else. "It's a good thing that you're recovering so quickly. I'm relieved actually. You get tired and it's over. Do you understand what it means to have absolutely no reserves, absolutely nothing to bounce back from? Can you honestly tell me that you're at 100%, right now?"

Jun felt his grip tighten, not to a strangling degree, but decidedly more secure like being locked into a seat right before the rollercoaster began.

It took him awhile to respond. "Do you want me to say it then? My father would be horrified if he knew I admitted weakness. He'd tell me to hide it, bite the bullet."

"But your father isn't here," Jun reminded the other, "And I don't see why you'd ever tell him about this. I won't think any less of you. No one would."

"Then I agree. You should drive. But, Jun, worry about yourself more, for my sake."

"Well, I have you to do that for me, don't I? Relax, I won't do anything I can't handle."

Jun moved in his grasp so that she could be facing him. He must have read her unspoken request because they both "attacked" each other at the same moment. Small talk and discussions aside, that was really all they wanted to do at the moment as they kissed with feral intensity, groping at one another as if they would pull off each other clothes right then and there. Strangely enough, it was Kazuya who had enough sense to pullback. Not in public. Not when Jin was right there in the car. Slowly, their passion fizzled out, but Jun stayed quite close to him, her head buried in his chest. She could feel his hard-on; it would have to suffice for now. She felt tingly all over as if electricity danced over her skin—and she found she liked this feeling.

"Alright," she said a little breathless, "Let's get a move on."

They stood there a little longer, attached to one another. She waited until she could no longer feel his erection before finally heading to the driver's seat. She opened the door to a very bored looking Jin and smiled brightly at him. She knew she'd be in a good mood for a while.

"I'll be taking over the driving for now. I can't believe your father had you doing it at all, but I suppose it had to be done."

Jin's face brightened then. "Alright. But are you well enough to—

"Your father and I discussed this. I'm the best choice for driving now."

Jin nodded and got out of the seat. "Just let me know if you want me to take over. I can drive pretty well now."

Jun shook her head. "Now you're _offering_ to do it? You're father's such a bad influence."

"He'll have to drive someday," Kazuya said cutting into the conversation. He'd just gotten into the passenger's side.

"Well, not today. You'll be in the backseat where a child belongs."

Jin climbed inside the car and it started up automatically.

"Just like old times," Jin chimed over the noise of the engine.

Kazuya gave him a "hm" in agreement, but Jun was left completely out of the loop.

"What are you guys even going on about?"

"It's a long story," Kazuya said before Jin could begin to explain. "Not important. What matters is reality. What matters is now."

"You know," Jun began as she drove the car out of the rest area, "It almost feels like we're going on a family vacation."

"You'd compare this to a vacation," Kazuya asked incredulously.

"Oh, you know what I mean. All of us together in a car traveling somewhere and what's a vacation without a little stress?"

"Ever the optimist," Kazuya stated.

"Ever the pessimist," Jun said with a grin, "Exactly like I remember."

/

Jin felt increasingly drowsy staring at endless rows of passing trees. His eyes grew tired of the same sight. They'd driven for hours on end and Jin couldn't even remember how long that was. Time stretched on forever it seemed. Jin looked over at Kazuya who had fallen asleep long ago. Not even an hour had passed before he became practically unreachable. Jun had made light conversation with the other, but when he stopped responding all of a sudden Jin knew without turning his eyes away from the passing trees that he had dropped off again—it had only been a matter of time. Jin didn't have much to say himself and soon the car fell into silence. It wasn't a bad or uncomfortable silence, but it was boring and tiring all the same. He began to wonder if they were even getting any closer when Jun pointed out the airport sign.

"We're nearly there, Jin," Jun said. "One more mile."

Jin perked up with the news and wanted to shake his father to wakefulness immediately to tell him, but knew Jun probably wouldn't like that. A mile was nothing. In no time they were pulling up to a huge parking lot, the very same kind Jin had seen at the last airport he'd been to. Jun parked as close as she could so that they didn't have to walk so far. There weren't too many people that day, but the close parks had all been taken so they parked further back. Not that it mattered. They wouldn't be using that car again once they got on the plane. Jin watched as his mother called his father's name. Jin didn't think it'd be enough to rouse him but to his surprise, it was. But then he always responded to her voice even subconsciously. It made Jin only a little jealous that he didn't have the same effect on his father.

"Let's go, everybody," Jun announced.

She popped the trunk open and climbed out of the car. Kazuya and then Jin followed in suit. There was a bag that Kazuya took out the trunk. It was full of first aid equipment. Things he had stolen from the van. Soon they were trudging off. Jin couldn't believe it. They were really going to pull it off. They would go home and they would be a family exactly like he had dreamed it to be. When they stepped into the building, however, Jin began to feel a bit anxious. Everything was so quiet. Nothing like his last visit to the airport. Chairs were empty and there was only one receptionist working.

"I don't like this," Kazuya said voicing Jin's concerns. "I think we should—

But he stopped when three burly men dashed into the room from the outside through a side door they hadn't noticed. Kazuya practically yanked Jun behind him, but bullet shots came from elsewhere. Jin was momentarily confused when he didn't see the guns in the hands of the men before him. Then it hit him; it had come from behind. Kazuya had already turned on his feet feeling the impact from the bullets, but not really getting harmed. Jun was little more than a meat shield.

"Are you serious?!" Jin heard his father yell out in frustration.

Suddenly, Jin was being handed an unconscious Jun and ordered to protect her to the best of his ability. In the next second, his father left his side advancing upon the gun wielding men in a snap. More gunshots, but as Jin looked up and watched his father, he hadn't faltered at all. Perhaps he had managed to evade them. Jin closed his eyes, too squeamish to watch the men become demolished under his father's wrath. He heard bone bending and breaking; grunts, screams, and all manner of odd guttural noises. In the end, Jin heard the deadweight of five men hitting the ground. When Jin finally looked, his father was moving back towards him not at all in a rush. His clothes, hands, and face were splattered with blood, but Jin couldn't tell which was his. At the very least, he didn't seem harmed. His stride was just as confident as he remembered. He wasn't looking at him, though. Jin grew apprehensive once again as he realized that there were the men behind them. Yet his father's expression wasn't that of a worried man. Jin finally looked back and saw that the men had frozen in their steps perhaps unprepared for the carnage his father was capable of. Jin was glad to have closed his eyes.

There was fire behind those eyes, burning and all-consuming, but they were not directed at him. Jin was simply looking from the outside in and it didn't affect him at all. He was grateful not to be on the receiving end of it. They spoke in English. The man closest shouted something in English and his father responded in a tone that sent shivers down his spine. He wondered what had been said, but before he knew it Kazuya was upon the man. In a snap, Kazuya grabbed the man's head rammed it with practiced ease into his knee and the man melted to the ground. There were six others and only one had the courage to come forward. These men did not have guns. After Kazuya pounced on the next victim, the other five scattered.

"Jin, this was a mistake," Kazuya said startling him.

Jin's eyes were stuck on the dying man as he moaned in pain. His father noticed his gaze, but said nothing. When he was close enough, he took Jun into his arms. That was what gave him pause. What were the odds that someone would make it through two shootings? And he just continued to stand there gazing upon her.

"Dad! We gotta' get out of here!" Jin cried trying to draw his father's attention.

"Yes…" his father said distantly. "Let's go."

"This way," Jin more or less ordered to the other when he hadn't moved in the least. "We _have _to get out of here." Still Kazuya hadn't moved until Jin raised his voice even more. "Damn it, Dad, I can't make you move! We can't worry about her now, we gotta' get to safety first!" Jin finally captured the other's gaze, but he seemed utterly lost. "Just follow me, Dad. That's all you have to do. Run!"

Jin was running for the exit. He had already seen more men out the corner of his eyes and they looked to have guns. He looked back at his father who was finally moving as well, at first slowly, but then he was running as well. Jin held the door for him and they were outside sprinting back to the car. Jin had no idea how the other was able to keep up holding a full grown woman in his hands, but he did so with surprising ease. In fact, he was eventually in the lead. Jin grabbed the back door to the car open so that his father could place her in. He zipped to the passenger's side and Kazuya took his place in the driver's seat almost instantly. He was turning the makeshift key and switching gears without a second to spare. The men hadn't followed them, but Jin had a sneaking suspicion that they were climbing into their respective vehicles right now. Kazuya sped out of the parking lot, but it was controlled. He was worried about Jun, Jin realized. He probably didn't want to make any sudden movements with the car just in case. They could have moved a bit faster, but Kazuya stubbornly took his time and Jin knew better than to make a fuss.

It surprised Jin how detached he was from the situation at the moment. His mother was in the back dying and who knew how well his father was doing, one who was an expert at hiding his own injuries until it was too late. Somehow he wasn't frantic. Perhaps he was growing too used to such situations. Maybe his parents being so close to death was nothing new to him. He was safe. He would always be safe. He felt invincible.

After they drove at moderate speeds down the highway without even a hint of pursuit, he felt his father's eyes on him. Jin turned to him. There was nothing to read in his expression just his usual ambiguity.

"We won't go to an airport. I have someplace else in mind. It's a last resort, a questionable one at that. I'm not sure if he would be there right now."

"Who?" Jin asked.

"Your uncle technically."

/

AN: Alright, finally, another chapter down. Anyone who knows anything about Tekken will know who I'm talking about, but just in case, I'll leave it a secret. Until next time, my lovely readers.


	23. Surprise Visit

Chapter 23: Surprise Visit

For a while, they continued to drive on the highway. Eventually, they took an exit and entered a very suburban area. Jin's eyes grew big despite the desperate situation they were in as they passed mansion after mansion. They were all surrounded by a ridiculous amount of land and greenery.

"Where _are_ we?" Jin finally asked breaking the dead silence that had fallen in the car

Kazuya only afforded the other a glance. "The rich person's part of town—where people have too much time and too much space."

"Is that a bad thing?" Jin asked curiously.

"Not for our purposes. Better that we're somewhere remote."

Jin noticed that Kazuya drove considerably slower here. In fact, he seemed to be driving the speed limit, not that Jin was complaining. He simply continued to gaze at all the beautiful manor's that they passed by. It was a long trip. Jin counted about three hours before they arrived at the right place and it was the largest building of all. The driveway was hard to miss. It made their car seem small and insignificant as they drove up it.

"Wait a minute," Jin said as something dawned on him, "You mean people _live_ in these buildings?"

"Sometimes," Kazuya said nonchalantly as he stopped the car and climbed out of it.

"What do you mean sometimes?" Jin continued in his line questions.

"As in sometimes," he replied exasperatedly. "Some people actually have families and live here; others just buy something like this to come to from time to time—like on vacations. It just depends."

"Oh," Jin said simply as he looked up at the mansion they had stopped at.

Now that he was outside and closer—the house seemed even bigger than before. They had parked as close as they could to the front. The garage door was closed so there was no way in telling if the entire place was abandoned or not. It was very quiet—something that Jin was used to as he grew up in a very remote place, but there had been more wildlife. Here, there were no noises whatsoever. It was as if everything was dead. It was a bit spooky. Jin stayed close to his father as he proceeded to walking to the front door. He had not taken out Jun just in case his plan was a bust and the person he wanted to see was not there.

The only thing Jin heard was his and his father's footsteps as they trudged up the slight incline to the door. Kazuya knocked on the door vigorously for a few seconds and then waited. He thought better of it and used the doorbell instead. Jin looked around a little uncomfortable with the heavy silence. There was a nice tulip garden to his right with varieties he had never seen before. They seemed fresh and kept up. His eyes brightened a bit.

"Dad, look, that garden. Someone _has_ to be here," Jin said indicating what he had been looking at.

Kazuya looked over at it as well, but then shook his head, "An easy task for a gardener. The owner wouldn't have to be here for that."

"A gardener?" Jin asked.

Kazuya looked up to the sky in desperation—he did not feel like answering more questions at this point and it was as if the heavens had responded as the door opened up before them like magic. He expected to see the person who opened it immediately, but Kazuya saw nothing at all except a very spacious and decorative front area. Kazuya hesitated in walking in not knowing if he was really invited or not. Then he heard his voice—the unmistakable voice of Lee Chaolan.

"Come, welcome friends!" Lee said upon entering the front room. He bowed to them thereafter. When he came back up again from his bow, he was able to take a good look at his guests. One of the people he thought he'd never see again was standing right in front of him as if he hadn't been declared dead all those years ago. "Kazuya!?" His pleasant voice had turned to complete and utter shock.

Never once had Kazuya thought about the fact that to the rest of the world he was dead. His mind had been elsewhere—like how was he going to get help for his woman. For once, Lee seemed to be at a loss of words. To add to the surprise, there was, of course, Jin who perhaps no one knew even existed. But for what it's worth, Lee regained his composure quite quickly. It must have been clear to him that Kazuya could only have shown up for something quite urgent indeed. They weren't exactly on good terms with one another. In fact, they hated each other's guts. At this moment in time, however, that didn't matter—the shock was too heavy in the air.

"There's someone who I need you to help," Kazuya said steadily. He spoke as if they were on good terms and that asking for the other's help was a customary occurrence.

"And who might this someone be?" Lee asked at once keeping his voice calm and measured. In reality he was quite mystified, intrigued, and distraught all at once. A million and one questions had already formed in his mind.

"Jun," Kazuya replied.

In an instant, their sibling rivalry was placed on hold. Jin could hardly read either of their expressions. It was as if he wasn't even in the room and that he was simply an observer. Jin had tried to get more information out of his father about who this uncle could be, but he had gotten almost nothing. It was hard for Jin to believe that this well-dressed, silver-haired man could possibly be related, not even remotely. But judging from their reactions to one another, they must have known each other.

"Jun?" Lee repeated, "But what—

"It'll all be crystal clear to you when you see her. Follow me."

Kazuya ordered Lee just as he would order him around, Jin noted. Instead of protesting, however, Lee simply followed his wayward brother sensing the urgency in his voice, Jin along with him. As soon as Lee was shown Jun's condition, his expression became quite serious.

"What did you do to her?" Lee questioned the other in surprise, "What happened?"

He was already moving forward to lift her silent form from the car. Jin could tell that his father had wanted to do as much, but he surrendered to his brother's stern look. Never had Jin seen his father back off from anything with a simple look. Was there guilt there in Kazuya's eyes, Jin wondered.

"She should be at a _hospital_. Not in the back of some car you've obviously stolen from somewhere. What were you thinking? Her wounds—

"Listen, I can't explain everything right now," his voice had become tinged with desperation. "Can you help her or can you not? As you can see, there isn't time for bickering."

"Yes, Kazuya, of course I can help her—you leave me no choice."

Lee's eyes hadn't left Jun as he took her inside. Kazuya was close behind and Jin followed. Jin thought he had stepped into a palace. They climbed a long spiral of stairs before they stopped at a spare room that Lee placed her in. And without a second thought, Lee was on his cell calling people. Jin could see the worry now in his father's expression.

"What are you doing? Who are you calling?" Kazuya demanded of the other.

Lee barely gave the other a passing glance. "Last I checked, I am no doctor. If you want her to survive, then we'll need an expert."

"But—

"What's more important, Kazuya? Her life or hiding from whoever it is you're running from?"

His tone had become quite judging and it only served to piss off Kazuya even more. "Fine, I don't care anymore—just call who you need to."

"Good. I'm glad you've started acting rationally again."

The only break in their arguing came when Lee was actually on the phone talking to someone. Besides that, they seemed to be at each other's throat constantly. Jin was quite put off by it. There his mother was, silent and unmoving, and all they could think to do was fuss. Jin had never seen his father hate so passionately, but he always suspected his father was quite capable of such things. His mother kept him on a leash, Jin realized, and now that she wasn't there to make a difference—he was completely unruly.

At some point, they broke it off. Kazuya simply left the other's presence after being told to leave Jun in his care. In the end, Kazuya had no choice but to acquiesce as he could do nothing more for Jun. Jin watched his father leave down the steps, but he had no desire to follow him just as it had been in the dream—Jin opted to stay by his mother's side.

Lee had said nothing to him the entire time he had been there—he'd been too preoccupied with his father. Jin watched as the other paced about for a bit and then his eyes turned to the child as if it was first time he had seen him.

"You must be Kazuya's son," Lee finally said.

Jin could only nod. He wasn't sure how Lee had guessed right, but then remembered that he and his father shared quite a few physical traits.

"Apologies for my poor introductions. I'm Lee Chaolan; your father's brother—adopted if you wanted to know."

That explained everything. Lee held out his hand so that the other might shake it, but Jin was certainly not well versed in such manners and only stared curiously at his outstretched hand. Lee could only smile at this. He bent down a little and took up one of Jin's hands and shook it. Jin was completely puzzled by the entire exchange.

"There. So next time someone holds their hands out to you, you won't make them feel so stupid."

Jin looked up to the other when his hand was released. "You're weird."

His remark had exactly the opposite effect on the other—Lee was clearly amused. "Well, you know what they say about first impressions. I think I may have botched mine with you. This is certainly not how you expect to meet your brother whose come back from the grave—I'm sorry you had to be witness to such childishness. Now, aren't you going to tell me your name?"

"Jin," he said simply.

"Jin Mishima, then."

He shook his head. "Jin Kazama."

"Ah, I see. So you were raised by your mother." It confirmed to Lee, that Jin was indeed the result of Kazuya and Jun's consummation—as odd as that sounded. Then again, he doubted they had ever been married. "You must be very worried right now. I can't imagine how it must have been for you with your mother in such a condition. I've called the best and nearest doctor to come and help her. She's in good hands."

"I know," Jin replied confidently.

This drew surprise from the other. "You know?"

"Dad always takes care of Mom."

He hadn't been worried, Jin realized. Since she had gotten shot again, worry was something he hadn't done. He knew that his father would do everything in his power to help her—and he was just along for the ride. Jin simply could not imagine his father allowing her to die.

Lee smiled at the other once again. It was only then that Jin became a little anxious in the other's presence. He smiled far too often and his voice was unnaturally pleasant. Lurking there beneath the surface was something sinister. Jin sensed that he could be quite ruthless and that he was only protected from it due to his age. He'd already seen it when he lost his composure with his father. How quickly he had regained his practiced expressions didn't sit well with Jin.

"It's never good to talk behind someone's back so I won't disagree with you on that point."

"You don't like Dad very much," Jin stated plainly. "You don't think he has her best interest in mind."

"At heart," Lee corrected the other.

Jin looked confused at the other as if he had spoken in a foreign language.

"You don't think he has her best interest _at heart_," Lee clarified.

"At heart, then," Jin said tiring of the expression already, slightly embarrassed that he had gotten it wrong.

Lee paused before he responded probably thinking whether he should respond truthfully or curb his obvious dislike for Kazuya. "I suppose you want a straight answer. I don't. I have no idea what kind of trouble your father is in, but it has placed Jun into harm's way. That's the worst thing you could do to a lady especially one who you claim to love."

"It's not his fault."

"You don't have to make excuses for him."

"I'm not," Jin said in nearly pleading tones.

"Alright," Lee said putting up his hands in a small truce. "Alright," he repeated for good measure. "If there's one thing I don't want to do, it's make you feel uncomfortable here."

Just then, the doorbell rang. Lee left the room to go and greet the person who had arrived. Jin supposed that it was the doctor. He walked over to the bed to look down at his now frail mother. She still breathed, but it was barely perceptible. Jin hoped the doctor could work a miracle this day. She had become paler than usual and even Jin could tell that she was dying. He should have started tearing up, but for some reason, the feeling never came over him. He simply kept looking at her, unable to turn away. He felt nothing. He felt empty. He felt utterly alone.

His father was off fuming somewhere unable to keep his anger in check especially with his mother in the condition she was, his mother was now unreachable and Lee was not only creepy but a complete stranger. Jin didn't know what to make of anything. All he could do was stand there.

The doctor came and he hadn't even noticed the man's presence even if he did come in with a lot of medical equipment and he made all the noise in the world. Jin didn't hear when he was told to leave until someone touched his shoulder. He looked back to see that it was Lee with an expression that vaguely reminded Jin of concern.

"Come on now. Let the doctor do his work. He's doing a special favor for me by not letting the local police know about your mother's condition."

In the end, Lee took Jin's hand and led him out the room. He closed the door behind him quietly.

"Jin, I think rest would be good for you right now. I've set a room up for you."

Jin didn't even bother looking up at the other; his very presence was setting him on edge. His voice was deceivingly gentle. Nothing he ever said had sounded sincere as if he always spoke contrary to what he was thinking. Lee continued to lead the other and this time he took him to yet another spare room, large and unused. Jin looked back to the other when he left his side.

"Get some rest, alright?" Lee repeated. "You've been through a lot."

Only when Lee was out of sight did Jin take his advice. Immediately upon his head touching the overly soft pillow, he fell asleep.

/

Jin found himself roaming the halls endlessly. There were three floors and he continually got lost on each of them. He'd gone to see his mom several times, but each time there was a nurse there who told him his mother needed peace and quiet for now. No one would tell him how she was really faring. Jin had a knack for telling if an adult was outright lying to him—he could hear it in their voices. They just didn't want him to feel bad. It was too late. The flood of emotions did not come yet. Somehow they were kept suspended perhaps in the belief that it was impossible for his mother to die this way. They had been so close to achieving the family they were only now piecing back together.

Pessimism began to set in on the third day of wandering around. What kind of relationship did his father even have with his mother? Were they even right for each other anymore? The whole time Jin was there, he hadn't heard from his father—he seemed to be hiding. When he asked the nurses, they couldn't tell him. He hadn't even gone to visit. Lee was absent too for that matter—a fact he was glad of.

He went outside at some point, tiring of the inside. He still couldn't believe how large the backyard was. On any normal day, Jin would have been compelled to run around endlessly in such a large space. Now all he could do was look at it with fascination. Eventually, he sat down and tugged mindlessly at the grass, but then stopped himself when he thought he might have been ruining the yard that way—it seemed well maintained.

"So _there_ you are."

There was that too pleasant voice that Jin had not wanted to hear again so soon. His head turned to him as he stepped out of the house.

"I've been looking all over for you. You never seem to be in your room."

This time there had been real concern in his voice which surprised Jin. "Sorry," Jin replied. "I couldn't sleep. They won't let me see Mom. Where's Dad?"

"Your parents seem a bit worse for wear. I want to discuss at length what exactly has happened with your father, but he seemed comatose—I couldn't for the life of me get him to wake. That doesn't seem to surprise you," Lee noted at the end looking at Jin's unchanging expression.

"He's been that way for a while now; low on energy. Mom did something to him."

"Ah, everything is not as it appears to be. I would hate to trouble you for an explanation—"

"I'll tell you everything."

"Only if you feel that you can."

"It's no problem," Jin reassured the other. It would be a nice diversion to doing absolutely nothing.

"Let's do so over dinner. It doesn't appear as if you've been eating much these past few days."

Jin knew better than to say that he simply didn't feel like eating right now. Lee would probably insist that he did and it was probably for the best anyhow so Jin simply obliged the other.

Jin followed the man through the maze of a house to the dining room where he already smelled food. Just the smell of it sent his stomach growling and Lee must have heard it since he gave him a knowing look. Lee took a seat on the left side of the table and Jin took a seat across from him. Jin turned his head when a brunette lady with high heels clicked towards the table and set down their bowls with hot steamy food. Jin looked at the woman curiously. She gave him a welcoming smile and Jin smiled back courteously though his heart wasn't in it.

"Who's she?" Jin asked when the lady left them to themselves.

"My cook," Lee said simply.

Jin was mystified by this. "So she's your wife?"

"Wife?" Lee said with a laugh. "Not by a longshot. What has your mother been teaching you?"

Jin stared and gave him a confused look.

"Nevermind. She's been my cook for three years now—and she's proven to be quite good at it."

"Okay," Jin said simply still not fully understanding her purpose.

Before Lee could say anything more, a different woman than before walked very quickly into the room holding a small stack of papers. She wore thin reading glasses and quite a bit of makeup. The blonde seemed concerned about a prototype. Jin didn't understand it all, but Lee was obviously interested in what she had to say. Jin simply watched their exchange as he dug into the food. To be fair, this was the best teriyaki chicken he had ever tasted.

"So, Jin, how has life been?"

Jin looked up at him. He couldn't even begin to answer that question.

"I see. Too complicated to put into words. It comes to my attention that we don't know very much about each other—sad, but true. One would think an uncle would know more about his nephew than just his name and that he's really shy around strangers. I'd like to change that before you dive into your thrilling tale of how you happen to arrive on my doorstep."

"I'm not shy," Jin declared to the other.

"Oh? You're not?"

"I just don't like you very much." Jin couldn't believe he had managed to say as much, but perhaps his father was rubbing off on him.

Lee seemed unfazed by his comment. "And what have I done to garner your disapproval?" The pleasantness had not left his tone.

Jin was quiet after this. He couldn't quite put his thoughts into words. Jin could see the other studying his face perhaps trying to glean the answer from his expression.

"I confess, I'm not very good with kids. The last time I came in contact with one, they ran off crying to their mother. I always seem to have that effect."

Jin stuffed more food into his mouth stopping himself from saying something completely rude. He _didn't_ want to get on the man's bad side. Jin had a feeling it might rival even that of his father.

"It's alright; you can speak freely here," Lee said, "No need to walk on eggshells for my sake. I promise I won't get upset."

Jin struggled to hear the sincerity in his voice. Lee ate slowly before he continued.

"Well, perhaps you're a little put off after my candid disagreement with your father from the other day. I apologize. We do have a history of rubbing each other the wrong way—a very long history."

"That doesn't matter," Jin said before the other could say any more.

"Really?" Lee said in an unbelieving yet pleasant tone.

"People don't like Dad. He rubs a lot of people the wrong way—in fact, I think he makes a habit of it." Jin could tell that the other was quite amused by his reply. "Even my mom sometimes doesn't like him. I'm not even sure if she likes him anymore right now. It's not surprising that you don't like him as well."

"You are very observing, aren't you? In any case, I'm glad _that's_ not the reason. I'd have no way of recovering myself in your eyes otherwise."

"I can't say why…I don't like you. I just don't."

Still Lee seemed unperturbed. "But at least we can speak civilly. That's always a start.

"Do you live here alone? I never see anyone here besides you."

"Basically. I do have plenty of assistants on my payroll who visit me on a regular basis and I do on more than one occasion allow them to stay here if they like, but as for actually living here, it is just me."

"That's weird."

"Yes, well as you've stated before, I am a 'weird' person—although I've never been called that before. Would you like a second helping, Jin?" Lee asked as he saw the other finish off his bowl quite efficiently.

Jin could only nod since his mouth was still full. As if on cue, the brunette came back in and took his bowl. It took only a minute to come back in with another one. Jin began on it immediately.

"Reminds me of when I was your age, freshly plucked from the streets of Japan. I could empty a bowl so quickly. It feels like ages ago."

Jin looked up at him curiously so the other continued.

"Well, if you want to hear about boring old me," Lee said pausing.

"You grew up with Dad?"

"Yes, I did. We were friends once. I was around eleven when I met him."

"What did you guys do?" Jin asked finding it hard to believe that they had ever been friends.

"Oh, normal kid things—pickpocketing, stealing candy from side stores, playing pranks on unsuspecting folk."

Jin's eyes grew big. "Really?"

Lee laughed a little at the other's expression. "We didn't have a lot of morals growing up and I was worst of all. Nothing the way I'm sure Jun is raising you. I was just a kid off the streets and your father had the unfortunate luck of having Heihachi for a father. It was all in good fun. It didn't last as you know."

Jin waited for the other to continue when he paused again.

"Heihachi, your grandfather, thought to adopt me. I thought he was being unbelievably charitable. I'd never met the man—I just thought he must have been awfully caring. How wrong I was. Kazuya and I we were pretty ecstatic about the new arrangement. I was the brother he never had. We could live together and never be bored. It started out that way, but then things began to change. Without me even noticing, everything became a competition. I realize now, it was instigated by none other than our loving father. That was sarcasm," Lee said when he saw the other's look. "Kazuya, well he's always excelled at combat—he has a special knack for it. But I always wanted to be better. He crushed me every time I thought I was getting better. Our rivalry grew to hate. Anything we did together became a contest and anything we said to each other became an argument. Eventually, when we were old enough, we simply parted ways."

"So you hate him now."

"I don't _hate_ him…Well, maybe I wish I didn't. I know about your father, Jin—what Heihachi did to him. I hadn't been there to protect him. Kazuya was always better than me at fighting, but part of the reason was that Heihachi pushed him and pushed him past his limit most of the time. I didn't actually matter to Heihachi—I was just there to fuel Kazuya's need to become stronger. I think I chose to ignore it, but Kazuya was mentally terrorized every waking minute to always be the strongest, the best. No matter what the cost. I remind myself of that, but not enough. I look at what he's done and I'm disappointed, I'm _hateful_. And even now, I still want to best him in fighting. Old habits die hard."

"He's not so bad, you know," Jin said in a small voice. "I guess he's rough around the edges, but…"

"It's easy for a child to forgive, isn't it? But you've noticed it too haven't you—adults are different."

"They are."

"Maybe when you're an adult, you'll understand."

"I don't think I want to understand."

Lee gave him a smile that suggested that he wouldn't have any choice in the matter. Jin saw the other in a new light—not quite as strange as he had seemed before. If his father had once been friends with him, then perhaps he could do so as well.

"So, Uncle Lee, do you want to hear how we all ended up here together at your doorstep?" Jin asked feeling confident enough to tell the story.

"Why, of course."

And Jin started from the very beginning when he first witnessed his mom crying to herself at night. Once he got started, he couldn't stop. It was well into the night when Jin finished and somehow he had been able to keep Lee's attention the entire time.

"So all of you are just trying to get back home," Lee said neutrally when he was done.

"That's the plan."

Lee purposefully kept the questions he had formed in his mind to himself. They weren't ones that Jin could really answer anyway. The child seemed optimistic and he didn't want to be responsible for dashing his hopes and literally his dream. Personally, he believed the relationship Kazuya had with Jun was ephemeral at best. Jin had simply guilt-tripped both of them into liking each other somewhat once again after so many years. They weren't in love anymore; that had fizzled out years ago. There was only lust now—the very thing they had initially built their relationship around. How could something like that survive? Kazuya wasn't going to change any time soon and Jun was simply too good for him. Lee always thought that she deserved someone better, someone who was capable of real, lasting love. He couldn't tell these things to Jin. Jin only saw something broken and wanted to fix it. Kazuya was always going to be his father and Jun was always going to be his mother. In his mind, they were supposed to be together. In Lee's mind, he thought it would be a very tragic day indeed if that ever happened again.

/

AN: For all those who are still reading and didn't lose interest long ago—I'm flabbergasted, honestly. Feeling a bit guilty for taking so long with another chapter. I'm just glad I was able to finally do it for my dedicated readers. I hope you've enjoyed. I don't want to make promises, but I am working on the next chapter as we speak—(or more like, as you read). Wasn't sure how portray Lee here for the longest time, but for some reason I always thought he'd be horrible with kids.


	24. Decisions

Chapter 24: Decisions

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

The first thing Kazuya heard upon waking was Lee's gentle voice. His mind was still groggy and for all he knew he might have still been dreaming. He could barely remember where he was at the moment. He sat up very slowly and realized that he was, in fact, on a couch and one that seemed to be made out of polyester. He ran both his hands down his face once and then regretted when he tried to actually open his eyes. The room was far too bright. Obviously, the blinds were open. His eyes winched at the intensity.

"It's been quite a few days."

He could hear, but not comprehend what was being said. It was the same phenomenon he had experienced before when he had woken up in a car instead of a hospital. It was all a bit infuriating.

"Kazuya, are you feeling alright? Your son filled me in on the details of what happened. I suppose I'm guilty of jumping to conclusions."

Kazuya's eyes grew a bit more accustomed to the light and finally he looked towards where he was hearing the voice. There was Lee—a blurry Lee, but him nonetheless—looking as dapper as always. He didn't give the other any sort of response—then again everything remained jumbled in his mind. He watched as the other walked over to the window and then turned towards him again.

"Perhaps it is as Jin said."

Kazuya watched the other step closer to him until they were only inches apart. Lee bent forward so that he could get a closer look at the other's face.

"The Kazuya I know would have had a problem with—

Lee was interrupted when he felt one of his wrists suddenly caught in an iron grip. Kazuya had reached forth and grabbed one of them before he had ever known what was happening. Lee immediately tried to shake the other's grasp, but realized that he was getting nowhere. As far as strength went, Kazuya had always been his better. The hold grew tighter and Lee winced involuntarily. He knew for certain at that moment that Kazuya meant to break his wrist. Not only would such a thing be extremely inconvenient for him, it would hurt like hell.

"Snap out of it already, Kazuya!" Lee shouted just in case the other was hard of hearing.

With his free hand, he grabbed his shoulder and shook him vigorously, but it had the opposite effect. Kazuya was simply reacting now. He saw Lee's actions as an attempt to retaliate and Kazuya, in turn, batted away the other hand and then without a second thought added a bit more pressure to his grip on Lee's wrist and broke it cleanly through with ease. He cried out in pain as he stumbled away and held his limp hand gingerly.

"You, bastard! I'm on _your_ side!"

Kazuya was already standing up and advancing towards him. Nothing could be read from his eyes. They seemed dead and depthless. Lee moved back in response knowing that the other was probably going to pounce on him.

"Of course after so many years, we fight again and you already have the upper hand…literally."

Lee began to ready himself for attack as he put his feet in motion as if they were made of springs. Kazuya was upon him before he knew it. Lee was completely unprepared for the solid punch that nearly blacked him out on contact. He felt as if his face had been caved in, but probably his nose was broken. He didn't have time to check—he had to move. Once Lee got started, it was easy enough to dodge incoming punches. Lee, at the very least, had always been more agile than the other. This time when Lee moved out of the way, Kazuya fell into the dresser he had been standing behind. But that didn't seem to deter Kazuya for very long. Lee had already moved back quite a few yards.

So it continued like this—Lee constantly evading Kazuya's almost clumsy punches. Clumsy, though they appeared at the moment, there was still power behind them and Lee didn't fancy taking another one of those. Eventually, Lee moved in a bit closer to Kazuya so that he could get in a few jabs with his good hand. None of them seemed to affect Kazuya in the least. Lee began to wonder how he could bring the other back to his senses. Lee couldn't think of anyone off the top of his head that could effectively subdue Kazuya with one hand tied behind their back—and that was essentially what Lee was attempting now. It was a fool's errand, he knew. But what were his alternatives? Running? No, it was too late for such things. Besides, it'd been a while since he'd fought anyone.

He was completely out of shape, Lee knew. His stamina wasn't nearly what it used to be back at the tournament where he could use his agility to tire out the other. He was already tiring himself out, let alone his opponent. But then, it wasn't as if Kazuya was faring any better. Lee imagined it hadn't been easy coming back from the dead. Seemed as if he had spent the majority of his time in a hospital bed recuperating. One would think then that Lee would have some kind of advantage. Lee moved in closer once again and got in five consecutive jabs before he quickly put distance back between he and him. His perceived advantage was almost nothing at all, if his hits weren't effective. But then, it was hard to tell. Perhaps Kazuya was too dazed to even know where his breaking point was anymore. Lee continued to keep his distance and he continued to throw as many jabs as he could before having to move out the way, but he was beginning to slow and Kazuya began to seem faster.

It wasn't as simple as using Kazuya's lack of speed against him. Lee knew that the other was perfectly capable of brief spurts of surprising speed especially when it came to certain moves. He was unpredictable and Lee knew that eventually he would get caught if Kazuya had a mind for it. Now was even worse. Lee couldn't make out the other's motivations. His eyes seemed glazed over and he didn't seem capable of verbal understanding. It seemed once he was in fight mode, he stayed like that. Eventually without warning when Lee had moved in for another hit, Kazuya grabbed the nape of Lee's dress shirt in an inescapable hold. Lee knew what was coming before it even happened. He steeled himself for the crippling blow to his guts and he was released as he crumpled to the ground in utter pain. He'd felt it all before perhaps twofold, but the pain always seemed to take him by surprise.

It was always like this when they fought. Even as children, Lee would always be dealt a hefty dose of pain. Sometimes, he'd even be left with open wounds which bled profusely onto the ground. Something or other would be broken and he wouldn't feel like moving from the one spot. Kazuya would continually crush any notion that the other had somehow become stronger. Lee always felt that when he trained and became a little better in technique or strength, Kazuya was already twice as powerful. It had always been so. This time was no different. Only Heihachi wasn't there to break things up before it went too far. As Lee looked up at the other as his shadow fell over him, he could tell that Kazuya had no intentions of backing off. What had he gotten himself into?

"Kazuya! It's _me_, Lee. I don't want to fight you!"

He might as well have been speaking to a brick wall. There was no comprehension there in his eyes. With his legs, Lee began to push himself backwards on the ground. Then he began to use his one good hand to help in the endeavor. The entire scene seemed pathetic. In fact, Lee was ashamed to have been downed so quickly and then forced into such a compromising position. He even began to wonder if he was going to die this day. Was he going to die in his own home by his least favorite person in the world?

Lee was looking behind himself now so that he could move towards the door and perhaps lock the other in there. If he was a little less prideful, he might have tried this tactic from the outset, but Lee had never liked running away from fights even if the odds were not in his favor. His eyes were on the door now and it was becoming closer and closer. He didn't dare look back to where Kazuya had gotten to—he only had one thing to concentrate on now. He was relieved when his hand was finally able to take hold of it. When he turned back to look at Kazuya, he found that he had stopped his pursuit a while ago.

"Kazuya?" Lee asked cautiously.

This time the other did respond and looked over to him with one of the most confused expressions he had seen on Kazuya's face before.

"What are you doing on the floor?"

"You should know; you put me there."

Lee knew that he probably should have been a bit more informative. It was clear that Kazuya had no idea what had transpired, but he was upset with how things had turned out. Lee had not expected to get beat down in his own home and especially not by a Kazuya who didn't know what was up or down. He couldn't keep his expression neutral. All of his practiced patience was thrown out the window when in Kazuya's presence. He was annoyed and it showed on his face. Kazuya finally approached the other and reached his hand out to him. Lee looked at him closely waiting to see some sort of triumph in his eyes or the belittling look or amusement. He saw none of this there. Just confusion and genuine concern. It threw him off. Against his better judgment, Lee accepted his help and he was pulled quite easily off the ground.

"Now tell me what happened," Kazuya demanded of the other.

"Fine," Lee conceded grudgingly.

Lee could feel the other's eyes on him now as he went to grab an overturned chair. He probably knew by now that his nose was broken—he bruised quite easily. Anyone could tell that one of his hands hung far too limply. Now it was his turn to sit and Kazuya's turn to stand as Lee recounted the last few minutes. Kazuya didn't believe him at first, but the evidence was clear enough unless Lee had suddenly become masochistic.

"Unfortunate," Kazuya said when the other was finished speaking.

"Is that all you have to say for yourself—nevermind, don't answer that. I suppose that's all I can expect as an apology out of you. I'm sure you want to know how Jun is faring. Her recovery is going quite smoothly. In fact, she just woke up to day."

"Good," Kazuya said keeping his responses short and to the point. He had no intentions of yet another argument with the other.

"Good indeed, Kazuya. She could have died." Lee leaned back in his chair. He was still trying to catch his breath.

Kazuya seemed fine though, not even out of breath. Aside from a few nicks Lee had given him, he looked none the worse for wear. His arms were crossed now. "I understand that, Lee. I told you that before. If there was something else I could have done, I would have done it."

"But the fact still remains. Jin told me what happened—he told me everything. Do you really think Jun will be safe with you? Jin? You're putting everyone you say you care about in danger. Did you stop to think of that?"

"I don't need to hear another lecture from you."

"Well someone needs to knock some sense into you. _Both_ of you. Jin has an excuse—he's just a child, but Jun as well will willingly put herself in harm's way without a second thought and you won't stop her. Is _that_ how you want it to be?"

"And what do you propose I do? I didn't ask for any of this to happen—

"But it did and you must take responsibility." Lee received only silence from the other. "Are we in agreement about something then? Good. Now if you're willing to accept my help, then I'll deal with G Corporation, but I'll need your help."

"Why are you doing this for me?" Kazuya asked becoming suspicious.

"Well, it isn't for free, if you're wondering," Lee said feeling his broken nose and causing another sharp pang to shoot straight to his brain, "but I'm concerned for those around you."

"What do you want in return?"

"A few things. The first one being quite simple."

/

Kazuya walked down the hall with a confident air about him. The thought of G Corporation being dealt with was enough to put pep in his step. He was tired of dealing with them. He was tired of running all the time. Ever since his decision to part ways, they had not made it easy for him.

He stopped at Jun's door and let himself in. The nurses might have tried to stop him since there was someone else already there, but he ignored them and there was nothing they could do about it anyway. Jin was there and the two seemed to be having a candid conversation with each other. Kazuya only watched for a few moments. They seemed perfectly happy together. Why was Jin so keen on including him? They'd lived in peace before. He only served to destroy that peace, destroy whatever normalcy Jun had achieved for herself and their child.

Jin noticed him first and then Jun. They were happy to see him—he could tell.

"Jin, I need to talk to your mother alone."

"Kazuya, I'm sure anything you have to say to me, you can say to Jin as well."

But Kazuya didn't yield. He shook his head. "Jin, stand outside for a while."

Kazuya watched as Jin gave his mother an apologetic look. It seemed he was unwilling to get between whatever Kazuya wanted to discuss with his mom. He climbed off the bed with dejection written all over his face and left the room reluctantly. He closed the door behind him.

"Now that was rude, Kazuya. This is the first time he's been able to see me in days as I understand it. Couldn't this 'talk' have waited until later?"

"I didn't feel like dealing with Jin at the moment. You forget; this is the first time I've seen you in days as well."

Jun only gave him a small grin. Of course, she'd been guilty of telling Jin to go somewhere when she really just wanted to talk to Kazuya without having to mince her words. They were such horrible parents sometimes—she wondered how Jin put up with them.

"How are you feeling?" Kazuya asked.

"I feel pain everywhere, but it's bearable. I was given pain medicine. I didn't think for a moment I would die. I know it sounds silly…"

"No, it doesn't. I couldn't imagine you dying either. Not after all we've been through."

"Well," she began with a smile. "It's been an adventure. Maybe I'm an adrenaline junkie, but I've been having the time of my life. I didn't want to admit that before…it sounds so reckless."

"But you've always been a reckless person and I've only helped you along."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"You tell me. We are, in theory, supposed to be taking care of Jin."

"Oh, don't go all self-righteous on me—that's not like you at all."

"How was it, living alone with Jin for all those years?" Kazuya asked changing the subject.

"You mean, you really want to know?"

"I've always wondered. At least, whenever I was able to form a clear thought in my mind, I wondered how you were doing. Now I can simply just ask you."

"I won't lie to you, Kazuya, it was horrible for the first few years. And the pain…it began to subside after that. I concentrated on Jin, on being there for him."

"Is it true that you'd cry at night sometimes?"

Jun gave him a look as if to ask why he would ask such a thing, but then simply nodded. "I can't imagine you'd have done the same thing. You'd never let yourself become that vulnerable."

"I don't know about that. I missed you as well. As far as crying goes, I can't remember the last time I've done such a thing."

"What about your mother's funeral?"

"I barely remember that. I was too young to even understand what was happening. As far as I knew, she was there one moment and gone the next."

"Well, surely, when you were a child and scraped your knee or something..."

"That's nothing to cry about. How did we even get on this subject?"

"You know, it's not very often that you'll talk about yourself—I take my chances when I can get it," Jun said with a grin.

"There's not much to discuss there anyway. I wanted to apologize for everything I put you through."

"You act as if it was all your fault. I made my decisions as well."

"You did and I'm sure you've regretted some of them."

"I'm sure we've all made decisions we regret later."

"Jun, what are we really trying to do here? Are we really traveling back to where you made a home for yourself and Jin? Are we to continue on as if nothing has changed between us?"

Jun looked down. "As far as I can tell, nothing has really changed. I didn't want to admit it before, but I still love you and I know you do too."

"And how can you even tell?"

"It's just something you can feel, Kazuya."

"When has love ever been something you can feel?" Jun looked up when he said this. "You can't _feel_ an abstract concept. It has always been something you work at with its own set of unwritten rules—and I've always failed at it." Kazuya bent down a little lower so that he could have access to her lips and he kissed her, right then and there and she reciprocated. He pulled away before she became too passionate.

"Point proven, don't you think?" Jun said victoriously.

"No, my point was proven."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was at the tournament, there was only one thought on my mind—to destroy my father once and for all. I wasn't thinking of you or how that might affect you. I only thought of myself."

"Kazuya, we all make mistakes."

"Is that the excuse you'll use? The fact that you were with child did not concern me in the least. When my father defeated me, I hoped to die. I felt that there was nothing more to live for. When I didn't, when I found myself alive—that was still my desire. Surely you've realized it yourself, Jun. You don't need me. Whenever you think you do—you're only fooling yourself, holding onto something that was never there in the first place."

"How can you just say those things? You know that's not true. I feel incomplete without you."

Kazuya grinned at her last comment. "Is that really true?"

"Yes, of course, it is."

"So you would wish a life of danger, always being on the run for your son? Is this what you missed, Jun? Constant near death experiences. That's not you at all. I know who you really are. You seek a life of peace and that's exactly what you pursued as soon as I was no longer in your life. I was holding you back from what you really wanted. Yet you pretend as if I was a necessary part of your life."

"Kazuya, it's not like you to be so long winded. What in the world are you trying to say? We all know that you've made some mistakes, but I'm willing to forgive you. I'm willing to work things out. Isn't that enough?"

"No, it isn't. I've taken you for granted far too often. Even now. I can no longer picture myself by your side let alone going back to whatever middle-of-nowhere place you live. I don't belong there."

"Kazuya, we can always move. We can make compromises."

"Isn't that all you've been doing? How many compromises are too much? How many and you're no longer the person you thought you were? Why must you change so much for my sake? I've done no such thing for you. Jun, I'm going to do you a favor. I think it's time that we parted ways."

"You can't—what are you saying? _Why _are you saying this? What's gotten into you! I thought—I thought—

"Jun," Kazuya said placing a calming hand on her shoulder as he saw her working herself up. "In the end this is for the best even if you don't think so. For once, I'd like to do something for you. You and Jin will be safe without me. You don't need me."

"Is _this_ what it's all about? Being safe? I don't need to be coddled, Kazuya. I know it looks bad now, but we can survive this. We need each other to survive this."

"Do you not understand, Jun? I don't love you and I never have."

Jun was at a loss of words. She looked at him in disbelief.

"I think it is best if we break ties with one another. After you finish recuperating, you are free to go back home with your son."

"_Our_ son," Jun said stubbornly. "He's _our_ son and he adores you. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have even begun to look for you. And now that I find you…you're just as I remembered you to be: callous, rude, and completely ignorant to anyone but yourself. After surviving that ordeal back at the airport, _this_ is how you welcome me back?"

Kazuya was standing up now. He'd said what he needed to and now simply wanted to leave. "You'll see, Jun. Once you're back home and safe—you'll see."

"To hell with you, Kazuya! You think you've accomplished something today?! You're just running away from your problems—it's what you always do! You, bastard—

The rest of what she said was muffled as Kazuya took leave of the room and closed the door behind him. Jin must have heard some of it because when Kazuya looked towards him, he could see the unshed tears in his eyes. His eyes softened when he saw them.

"Dad…what are you doing?" Jin asked quietly.

"Go in there and help your mom," Kazuya said simply.

Jin said nothing more to the man and walked into the room. In the brief time it was open, Kazuya could already hear her sobs. He closed his eyes and leaned against the nearby wall just as the door was closed.

"Well, done, Kazuya. I could not have asked for a better performance."

Kazuya opened his eyes again and there was Lee standing before him with a look of satisfaction. "I'm glad you happen to find amusement in someone else's pain."

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic. You and I both agreed that this was necessary."

"How could I not? I don't have a lot of options. Whatever it is you're planning to do with G Corporation better work out or you'll do worse than a few broken bones."

"Have we come to threats now? Relax, you've held up your end. I'll do the same. Now, if I were you, I'd make myself scarce—and get as much rest as you can."

With this, Lee turned and began to make his way down the hall, but Kazuya stopped him midstride.

"Lee, I don't agree with your reasoning. Jun is a very capable woman. Keeping her in the dark will likely cause more trouble than good."

"She has been through quite enough. Better that she is safe along with her son. They need to be out of harm's way."

Kazuya sighed deeply. With nothing more to say, he did exactly as Lee requested—he made himself scarce. He made sure not to make any contact with either Jun or Jin. If they were to make a clean break, then there shouldn't be any reminders of what could have been.

They'd be angry for a while perhaps for a long while, but eventually they'd move on. Kazuya didn't expect to be in Jun's good graces ever again. Not after the stunt he just pulled. Kazuya suspected it was part of the reason Lee insisted on him doing it. Surely there had to be a limit to how much pain she was willing to tolerate from him. Surely this had been the last straw. He'd denied ever being in love with her. Wasn't that enough? Even if Lee's scheme happened to work, Kazuya really had no idea what he would do with himself afterwards. Taking back the Mishima Zaibatsu seemed like the thing to do, but the large family corporation held little pull on his interests. He had no desire to even look upon his cursed father's face. The sight of him conjured up far too many unpleasant memories.

Without Devil there to cloud his thoughts on a constant basis, he realized he had no desire to take revenge on his father. The anger that he always felt was gone. The feeling of always being on edge was gone as well. He was himself. Whoever that was.

He could only take things one step at a time. G Corporation was after him and wouldn't stop until they found him again. Someone offered to help. He accepted that help. It at least sounded logical. But then, why did he feel so empty? Why did it feel like once again he had managed to make the worst decision?

In a depressed haze, he easily found sleep and did not wake again until the time he was needed.

/

AN: Jin has to be beside himself with annoyance. Came this far only to split up once again. Will they ever be whole? Stay tuned.


End file.
